Indecent Proposal
by pattyrose
Summary: Edward's heart was broken by the girl he's loved for almost a decade. Drifter Bella wanders into Forks aimlessly one hot summer day. When their paths cross, he proposes a scheme to get them both their deepest desires. But things aren't always as they seem & Fate can have other plans. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: And we're back! Ready for a new one?**

**Less angst in this one (*phew*), but it's me, so yes, _there will be eventual angst_, but not as much as ToH, and not for a while at least, so you can breathe easy (besides, you all know I always clear it up anyway.) **

**The format for this story will be different. We'll have BPoV _and_ EPoV in each chapter. **

**Rated M for language, lemons and upcoming sexy times.**

**Michelle Renker Rhodes is my beta chicky now! Yay! Between the both of us we should hopefully keep the story straight. :)**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

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**Chapter 1 – Crazy and Shocked**

**Chapter Song Recs:  
****_Unwritten_ by Natasha Bedingfield  
****_Break Even_ by The Script**

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**Mid-May**

**BPoV**

_The summer when you proposed that stupidly ridiculous scheme to get her back and I stupidly went along with it was the summer of the Olympic Region's worst heat wave on record... _

OOOOOOOOOO

He'd been staring at my breasts for the past half-hour.

Inconspicuously at first; a quick glance here, a flash of the eyes there. But over the past fifteen minutes he'd left inconspicuous far behind and fully embraced his inner perv with hungry eyes and greedy grins. It was a miracle he hadn't crashed the truck yet during one of his ogles at my admittedly pretty tatas. This is what I got for hitchhiking through the Olympic Mountains - with a white-bearded logger to boot.

I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest, my lips twisting silently around a few choice expletives my big brother Jamie would've been ultra proud of.

_Dirty friggin flying son-of-a filthy rotten bow-legged whore_

_Big fat overgrown ass-ugly cock-sucking shrivel-dicked pencil-peened fucker of mothers_

Despite my current predicament, remembering Jamie teaching a five-year-old me to string together a bunch of dirty words brought a smile to my face. If he'd been here right now, never mind stringing curses, he would've strung logger man up by his white beard. Then again, he would've chewed my head off for hitchhiking in the first place – especially while wearing a tank that showed off my breasts so nicely.

I tried to ignore my freaky admirer and whistled a happy tune to myself instead – like I tended to do when trying to distract myself. I purposely hit a couple of notes way too high. Maybe if I sang off-key enough I'd turn him off and his straying eyes would stray no longer.

No such luck.

"Sooo, pretty lady," freaky-logger-man said, mistaking my breasts for my eyes when he smiled a freaky toothless smile my way. "Where exactly ya headed?"

"Don't really know." I shrugged and turned to stare out my window at the thick, tall trees that encroached on us, creating a canopy high above that kept the strangely warm Washington sun at bay. "Anywhere and no where really," I mused.

"How comes a pretty little lady like you don't have a fixed destination? Don't you have anywhere specific you wanna go? Someplace to stay?"

I smiled to myself, keeping my eyes on the blurring trees, and blurted my thoughts – another thing I usually tended to. "Oh I've got tons of places to go. I just won't be staying at any of them. Why should I? There's too much to see and do to waste time in just one-"

And then I felt it. A warm, clammy hand suddenly rested on my thigh, right at the juncture where my shorts ended and my bare skin began.

_Oh no the rat-faced-bastard-of-a-hairy-balled-pirate didn't._

**EPoV**

He'd been staring at her tits for the past fifteen minutes.

Not overtly. We were in a hospital cafeteria and he was the hospital administrator. He couldn't openly ogle the way he wanted to.

But _I _could see it - the way his beady eyes would narrow, crinkling in the corners before shifting quickly to her small chest and then back up to her face.

He hid it well; I had to give him that. I wondered how long he'd been hiding it while she was _my_ girlfriend, how many times he'd checked her out on the sly without my knowing. I wondered if she'd known – even back then; if she'd _enjoyed_ it. I wondered if she still made the same sounds she used to make when she came; if she'd altered her repertoire in any way for him – to please _his_ tastes. Mike tended towards the kinky, from what he'd told me a couple of times himself, while she…well she'd always been so shy in bed.

I bit into my apple and turned away, pretending to scan my pager. Still, I saw them laughing out of the corner of my eye. They made such a fucking handsome couple; I snorted internally, she in her pretty little skirt suits, him in his shirts and ties.

I got up and threw out the tray with the untouched breakfast and turned and bumped right into _him_. He grinned at me, the same friendly grin he'd been given me since back in high school. Too bad I'd never known what a two-faced, beady-eyed, girlfriend-stealing motherfucker he'd turn out to be. We could've spared ourselves this farce of a friendship.

"Hey Mike," I grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. It gave me a cheap sort of thrill when he almost lost his footing. I held in a chuckle.

'_Yeah,'_ - a little voice inside of me taunted – _'but he's fucking your ex-girlfriend - the one you're still in love with - so who's really getting the last laugh?'_

"How are you doing?" I asked instead.

"I'm good, I'm good," he grinned back, playing with his tie. "Just taking a quick breakfast break. How was Italy?"

_Shitty._ "Great man. Really good. Just got back last night, actually. You would not believe how relaxing the Tuscan countryside can be."

"Yeah? Good!" he exclaimed, happily nodding. "Glad to know you relaxed and took a much needed breather after all those years of med school. So are you ready to plunge right into the life of a first-year resident now?"

I gripped his shoulder, giving him a friendly shake and once again enjoyed the childish gratification that came from his unsteadiness on his feet. What a chump. He'd always been a chump. Would always be a chump.

Did she know she was fucking a chump?

"As ready as I'll ever be. We went over some protocols this morning and now I'm headed for my rounds," I said cheerfully.

"That's great, Edward. I'm glad to see you came back in such an upbeat, gung-ho mood." He fisted his hand and swung his arm in front of him in an arc.

"Yes, I did," I agreed in the same exaggerated tone - minus the chump arm gesture.

"Good." He moved in a bit closer and dropped his voice. "Look, Edward, I…I just want to make sure you and I are still good, buddy. You've been one of my best friends since we were kids and I want to make sure you know that I- I mean _we_," he blurted quickly and uncomfortably, "didn't plan this. You and she had broken up already when we-"

_Fucking asshole._ "Mike, Mike, Mike," I stopped him, in an equally low voice, "Don't give it a second thought, man. She and I have been over for a while."

"So we're good then?" he asked hopefully, obvious relief coloring his pale face. "Because you know, we're all going to be working together now and-"

"Of course we're good," I shrugged, and looked down at my pager as if it'd just gone off.

"Mike, I've got to run, my attending's paging me." I clapped my hands and grinned widely. "Time to get this show on the road."

"Oh. Okay, then. I'll see you later, Edward. Good to see you, buddy."

"Yeah, good to see you too." _Asshole_.

My eyes flashed behind him and landed on Bree. She was watching us anxiously, her dark hair pinned up in a bun, all professional. It made her already small features look smaller, more delicate. I grinned and waved, pissed off inside because _she_ broke up with _me_. _She'd_ moved on - to _him_. Yet she still looked at me that way. She had no right to look at me anxiously, maybe even…wistfully.

She seemed to hesitate for just a fraction of a second before she waved back, a small smile on her lips.

And I turned and left, pretending my heart wasn't falling to pieces.

OOOOOOOOOO

I snatched the first chart off the board and quickly scanned it, ready to get to work and get my buddy Mike's two-faced words and Bree's delicate, unsure face out of my head.

"Your attending's not here yet, Dr. Cullen," a slightly bored voice called out from behind the nurse's station. Julia was head RN and, at this point in my career, my superior. "You aren't supposed to start without him."

I perused the chart in my hand and pursed my lips. "It's just a laceration, Julia," I said condescendingly. This was the Forks Emergency room for the love of God. Most _emergencies_ consisted of scrapes, lacerations and bruises.

"There are still protocols, _Doctor_ Cullen," she chided me. Julia had known me since I was a small kid and would come visit my father - the chief of staff. Therefore, she had no problem yelling her head off at me when I strolled away towards Examining Room One.

"Dr. Cullen! Doc! Edward, damn it, get your butt back- Damn it!" she muttered.

The patient was moaning – pretty loudly, I might say - when I walked into the room. She laid spread eagle over the exam table; her arm covered her face while her long hair cascaded all over the place, splayed like dark wildfire across her shoulders. Her other hand tightly covered an area on her arm. I frowned and took a quick look back at my chart. According to this, she had a small laceration that _might_ require stitches. From the look and sound of her though, I'd thought she needed life-saving surgery.

Confirming that it was indeed, just a laceration, I took a step towards her and then stopped when her moans turned into humming – seriously out-of-tune by the way - before morphing back to moaning and then to tuneless humming again.

"Um, excuse me," I said.

She quickly removed her arm from her face and lifted her head and looked at me through the deepest, darkest eyes I'd ever seen in my life.

"Doctor, thank God," she breathed, eyes growing wide. "Are you here to sew me up?"

I blinked - twice. Something about her eyes had left me feeling…disconcerted.

"My name is Doctor Cullen. I'm a resident here and-"

She sucked her teeth; her Bambi eyes impatient. "Can we do the intros later? You _need_ to sew me up stat!" She stuck her covered arm out in my direction and then slowly, lifted her hand, revealing a cut that seemed about two, two and a half inches in length.

But it might as well have been the end of the world, because she took one look at it and started dry heaving over the table.

What. The hell?

"Do you need a bucket?" I asked urgently.

"NO!" she yelled, heaving again. "No bucket! Just sew me up!"

I pursed my lips. "I'm sorry miss, but there is a clearly defined order in which we do things here. First we need to go over your personal history and then take a look at your-"

"Cullen, was it, doctor?" she asked, looking up at me through dark eyes. I nodded. "Well then Doctor Cullen," she moaned, closing her eyes tightly, "if you don't sew me up right now I'm going to barf all over this pretty little examining room of yours and then pass out and then your clearly defined order will be covered in a mess of clearly defined vomit!"

She snuck another peek at the almost insignificant cut and moaned again, heaving once more before throwing her head back against the table.

I blinked twice more - then went to the door. "Julia, I need a stitching kit. Stat."

Now curled into a fetal position over the exam table, the patient covered her face once more, and again returned to her strange vocal exercises – moaning and humming; humming and moaning. And then she added something new to her strange repertoire:

"_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger…"_

What was she…was she…_singing_ now?

Alright. So I'd gotten stuck with a nut job for my first patient ever. Yet as she lay there - moaning and humming and fucking _singing_ - I couldn't help notice the pair of shapely legs that peaked out from her short denim shorts, or the tiny waist exposed under the white tank top that had ridden up her midriff. She had on a pair of dirty black high-top Converse, and as my eyes trailed higher I noticed a pair of very pretty, _very_ perky-

Holy shit, I was checking Crazy Patient out.

Thankfully, Julia strode in just then carrying the stitch kit, and I plastered on a blank face and pretended my nutty-yet-pretty first patient ever wasn't giving me a boner.

Julia sauntered over to me, lips twisted in disapproval. Her brows furrowed when she took in the singing and moaning girl lying on the table.

"What in the world is she doing?"

"No idea. Just give me the kit," I said, frustrated in more than one way when Crazy Patient's volume rose even higher. I wrapped my hand around the kit, but Nurse Julia didn't let go.

"What are you planning to do with this?" she asked, raising a brow.

In the background, Crazy Patient's cries shot up a couple of octaves.

"What do you think I'm planning to do with it, Julia?" I countered, raising my voice over the increasingly shrill cacophony.

"But you're not authorized, _Edward_! Your attending should be here," she snapped back.

"_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, STRONGER, JUST ME MYSELF AND I."_

"It'll be fine!" I hissed loudly.

"But-"

"For the love of all that's holy do you hear that?" I yelled, waving a hand towards Crazy. "Do you really _want_ to hear that for the next half hour, until the attending gets here? Cause I sure as hell don't! And she keeps getting louder and louder and I swear to God I'll leave the door open so it reaches the _entire_ nurse's station-"

"Alright, alright, Doctor Cullen!" Nurse Julia relented. "Just…" – Crazy's lyrics grew shriller and shriller – "just shut her up, _please_!" Julia hissed through clenched teeth before marching out of the room and closing the door tightly behind her.

I walked quickly over to the sink and washed my hands and then pulled up a chair close to the table, cringing at the bedlam erupting from the pretty-yet-crazy girl Fate had chosen as my first patient. I should've just listened to Julia and waited for the attending.

And then I reached out and took her arm...

…and that's when all hell really broke loose.

I pulled my hand back almost immediately. Crazy's head shot up, her chocolate eyes meeting mine, wide and startled.

"What did you _do_?" she cried, glaring between me and her arm.

"I didn't do anything!" I answered defensively, opening and closing the hand that still tingled from the un-friggin-believable shock that had just run through it. "What do you have in your hand?" I accused instead.

"I don't have _anything_ in my hand!" she retorted. "You…you…you _shocked_ me with something!"

"I barely touched you!" I countered, snapping my eyes to her arm. I put my hand out again and motioned for her to put her arm in it. With deliberate and cautious care, she slowly placed her arm in my hand…

…and pulled it back at lightning speed.

"You did it again!"

"_I'm_ not doing anything," I whisper-hissed, starting to freak out a bit here because yeah, some crazy shit was definitely going on. It wasn't painful or anything, but it was effing mind-blowing – like being shocked by a live-wire.

But Crazy had apparently had enough. Her eyes dropped to her cut and the dry heaves started again.

"Doc," – heave – "please," – heave – "sew it," – heave – "_Now_."

I took a deep breath and reached out for her arm once more.

Sure enough that strange sensation hit me again. She gasped and I groaned at the burn and tingle. But she didn't pull away and I didn't drop her arm because damn it was intense - but not entirely unpleasant. Crazy closed her eyes and held her breath while I forced my hand to remain steady and pressed on, working as quickly as possible.

Ten minutes later I had her all sewn up. The charge from our connection had never fully abated, but after a few minutes we both seemed to have gotten used to it – or as used as you could get to being electrocuted. Crazy had even managed to remain still and silent.

As soon as I was done, Crazy sat up, swinging her pretty legs back and forth off the examining table and grinning widely from ear to ear. The prettiest smile you'd ever seen actually, now that she wasn't yelling and screaming and moaning and humming and singing like a maniac. Abruptly disconcerted again, I walked to the other side of the examining room and washed my hands, picking up her chart once more.

"Alright then, can we get back on track now?" There was an edge to my voice I couldn't quite control or explain. Something about this first patient of mine had me flustered.

Crazy was in a good mood now though.

"Gave you a bit of a scare there, didn't I doctor?" she chuckled sheepishly.

"Nonsense," I answered dryly, my eyes firmly on her chart. "I'm used to dealing with problematic patients."

Clearly bullshit, as she was my first patient ever and I'd gotten a boner just looking at her and then almost lost it from merely touching her _arm_. But she didn't have to know that.

"Problematic?" she chortled, still swinging her legs; her stitched and bandaged arm all but forgotten apparently. "I wouldn't go that far, doctor. I just get a little…squeamish at the sight of blood."

"Is _that_ what that was?" I snorted incredulously, rolling my eyes. "I seriously thought you were having some sort of mental breakdown. I was getting ready to call someone down from the Psyche Department."

The Psyche floor made me think of Bree, since she was a first year Psyche resident.

Alright, so my words may have been a bit harsh, but Crazy simply laughed loudly - unfazed. And fine, calling her Crazy didn't quite feel right anymore anyway, because she wasn't acting nuts any longer. Instead she kept laughing and blushing all over the place. Admittedly, it may have been a bit cute in a weird sort of way. And admittedly she had a pretty laugh. It went well with those pretty eyes and that pretty face and that pretty body.

_Fuck me_. There I went checking her out again.

"Alright then," I said, snapping my pen on the chart. It frustrated me no end how easily distracted I was acting this morning. "Now that you have your precious stitches, can you please state your full name for me?"

She craned her neck, trying to get a look at the chart in my hands. "It should be there," she frowned, "on those forms they made me fill out, even though I was practically bleeding to death."

"First of all, you were definitely _not_ bleeding to death," I clarified. "You got three stitches and they're probably the smallest stitches ever. And second, I'm having a hard time reading these chicken scrawls that pass for your handwriting here."

She giggled – a sound so much more pleasant than the caterwauling she'd been doing a few minutes ago. "It's hard to write legibly when your life-force is seeping out in a puddle before your eyes."

The girl was seriously deranged - cute, but deranged.

She must've seen me smirk again, because she laughed once more. The sound made me look up, and I was met by those deep chocolate eyes, amused and sparkling.

She stopped laughing, her pretty eyes glistening with mirth. "Bella Swan," she said then. "My name is Bella Swan."

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**A/N: There's your first chapter guys. The next will be posted in a couple of days. I'd like to post this story twice a week, probably Mondays and Wednesdays once we get on a regular schedule, but we'll see how it goes.**

**Leave me reviews guys. Let me know what you're thinking. I've missed you all…**


	2. Chapter 2 Jealous & Stupid

**A/N: Thoroughly enjoyed reading your reviews guys. Will get back to you all asap. Yes, Bella is a little off-kilter, LOL, as some of you put it. And yes, this story will be different from ToH. I like writing different kinds of stories. Keeps me on my toes.**

**And before you all think that Michelle and I are total grammatical idiots, just want to let you know that Fanfic had some serious fail last chapter with hyphens and commas and quotes and stuff, and totally screwed up my punctuation. I'm sure there were probably a few things Mich and I missed, but seriously, we're not that clueless!**

**Lots of you want to know what happened to the logger dude. Don't worry. You'll find out.**

**So hopefully this chappy will have less errors. If not, please know my beta baby Michelle Renker Rhodes and I tried our best!**

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**Ch. 2 – Jealous and Stupid**

**BPoV**

_I'm not even sure how it started. It wasn't with the money though, I know that much. It was way before that. Maybe it was the desperation marring your incredibly handsome face that started it all. Even then, I would've done anything to get rid of your pain. _

_No. It's not fair to blame it on your desperation. The truth is it started because __**I**__ wanted it to start, more than I'd ever wanted anything in my life. __**You**__ simply said two words…__**I'm**__ the one who jumped at them…_

OOOOOOOOOO

There's this statue called 'The David,' over in Florence - you know, the birthplace of the Renaissance? Anyway, I always dreamt of seeing "The David" and finally figuring out what Michelangelo was thinking when he created him, all hard marble and defined lines. I wanted to gaze at "The David," and feel my own inspiration finally building.

So I found it hilarious to no end when I found him here, in this small town (Forks, was it?) in the middle of the Olympic Mountains.

Who knew "The David" was a real boy, all flesh and bone and muscle? All the chiseled lines were there, the surreal beauty, the perfectly defined jaw, the tall, lean hardness, the full lips - even if this "David" did seem to have his pursed in a perpetual smirk.

"Bella Swan. Is that your given name?" he frowned.

"Yup." I swung my legs back and forth – kind of nervously if I had to be honest, which sort of amused me when I thought about it because other than freaky-logger man, when was the last time a guy made me nervous?

"Actually, it's _Isa_bella," I admitted, "but no one ever-"

"_Isa_bella Swan," he repeated, his lips pursed as he took an eraser to where I'd filled my name out and did me the _favor_ of rewriting it. "Age twenty-two," he checked off, mumbling to himself.

Okay, so "The David" personified had a bit of a stick up his ass…

"When was your last physical?"

"I'm not sure. _Who_ was president before Obama?"

Another smirk.

"Any heart problems?"

"Nope."

"Joint stiffness."

"None that I've noticed," I giggled.

"Vision problems?"

"20/20," I sang.

"When was the date of your last menstrual period?"

"Exactly when I was expecting it. Phew!" I laughed, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand in mock relief.

He didn't even crack a smile. Tough audience, this guy.

My legs kept swinging away.

"Do you smoke?"

"Occasionally."

This deepened the line of disapproval that had formed over his brow, but he kept his eyes on my chart. "You do know that smoking causes cancer and a myriad of other health complications?"

"I've heard rumors to that effect, yes," I said, in a tone as serious as his.

"Rumors?" he practically growled.

"Just kidding," I chuckled. "Look, I'll quit one of these days, really. I haven't even been doing it long. I really just do it when I'm stressed. It's something I picked up from my ex. Now _that _wasa human chimney," I smirked.

My walking sculpture _finally_ looked up. When his eyes met mine, my legs stopped swinging because holy mother of juggernauts, were they the greenest eyes ever. Only my fear of barfing all over the place could've kept me from noticing them before.

Scratch that "David" shit. This dude was go-zillions of miles beyond "David."

"Well?"

"Huh?"

"I asked," he said impatiently, "if you'd like me to provide you with some patches today. It's as good a day as any to start breaking the habit."

Break the habit? Recovering from those eyes alone was going to require a crapload of puffing.

I shook my head quickly. "No. Thanks but no thanks, doc." He kept staring at me, and now that I'd seen those eyes, his gaze made me self-conscious. "Let's just…get on with it please." I motioned with my hand for him to continue.

The horizontal lines on his forehead gave way to a cute little vertical line just between his brow, before he plowed on with his medical inquisition.

"Do you drink?"

"Here and there," I said, grinning slowly because there went the lines of disapproval once more. My walking sculpture was apparently a straight-laced boy scout. His eyes seemed to darken and hell was it sexy - Mr. Sexy-Eyes.

I'd bet that "David" over in Florence didn't have sexy eyes.

"Another habit picked up from your ex-boyfriend?" Sexy-Eyed Boy Scout asked with a raised brow.

"Who said my ex was a boy?"

Sexy-Eyed Boy Scout visibly startled, his face turned crimson.

"Uhm, I…I didn't mean to assume-"

I broke out into fits of laughter and had to wrap my arms around my stomach to stop. "I'm just messing with you doc," I finally said. "Felix was definitely a boy."

That brought on the biggest smirk yet.

Somebody was clearly PMS-ing today.

"To answer your question, no, it's not a habit I picked up from my ex. I discovered the joys of a nice cool beer on a hot summer day _all_ by myself," I nodded smugly, swinging my legs again.

His full lips tightened into a straight line, pretty, pretty eyes blazing. They moved back and forth between my face and legs before he took a deep breath and looked back down at his chart.

"Chill out, doc," I teased. "I'm no alcky or anything - just your occasional beer and stuff."

His eyes shot up again, darker now. The chart got placed to the side, on top of the counter so he could level me with the most intense glare yet. My legs stopped once more because that look was doing seriously wet things to my panties and my poor panties hadn't been wet in a while, and shit it was time for my kegels.

"Well?"

"Huh?"

He rolled his sexy eyes. "I asked you, stuff like what? Stuff like drugs?"

"God no!"

"You sure?" He looked unequivocally…angry now. Ooh Sexy Angry eyes was the hottest _yet_.

Kegel away, Bella. Kegel away.

"Are you sure you haven't discovered the joys of a tightly rolled up stogy on a cool fall night?" he practically hissed.

I burst out laughing again. "Oh my God who even calls it a stogy anymore!" I asked incredulously while he glowered my way. "No! As I indicated with my chicken scratching Doctor Cullen, I don't do drugs, not occasionally, not recreationally. Though by the way you put it, it sounds like _you_ may know a thing or two about that…"

His nostrils flared, pretty/sexy/angry eyes blinking furiously.

"I'm just kidding, doc! Sheesh!" I chuckled. "Don't go into convulsions or anything." Though if he did, I'd be forced to give him mouth to mouth…

He breathed out heavily through his nose and sneered.

"Boy, are all doctors in this town this…intense or did I just hit the lottery?" I blurted.

In an instant, all intenseness disappeared. Doctor Cullen reached into his pocket and pulled out a writing pad. I wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed that those eyes were finally off of me. The kegels came to a stop.

"I'll write you some instructions," he said, in a voice much more subdued and professional than the one from a few seconds ago, "in case your arm starts aching. Ibuprofen twice a day, and…."

But my attention had been diverted to something to the side of him. It was a picture resting against a shelf. I got up off the examining table and made my way over to it. There was a wooden step stool right next to Doctor Cullen so I kicked it over and climbed on.

"Is this yours?" I murmured.

He cleared his throat. "Yes. It's the Piazza Antfiteatro in Lucca. Lucca's a small town in-"

"In Tuscany. The Piazza was built around a roman amphitheater in medieval times. They have open markets in the square on Saturdays, where they sell fresh fruits and flowers."

We were silent for a couple of minutes. I studied the picture, tracing the roofs of the centuries-old buildings in shades of yellow and red.

"Have you ever been there?" I asked.

I saw him nod out of my periphery. "I was in Tuscany for a couple of weeks. Just got back last night." He ran a hand through his curiously-bronze-toned hair. "Today is…actually my first day as a resident."

I pulled my eyes away from the picture and looked at him. There was a touch of sheepishness, and dare I say, self-consciousness, on his flawless face now.

"Ahh," I smirked. "So you're new at this."

He ran his hand through his hair again, cheeks pinking in the cutest way. "Yes, I suppose I am." He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry if-"

I never did find out what he was going to apologize for, because I lost my footing on the stool and as I tried to right myself I put too much weight on one side and the stool shifted over and I started going over with it…

Until Doctor Cullen's arm wrapped around my waist while his other arm went under my legs. Instinctively my arms went around his neck and suddenly, I was in Doctor Cullen's arms, held tightly against his chest.

I gasped - not at all discreetly either. Doctor Cullen's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as we stared at each other. This close to him, it became pretty clear that there was no competition between him and Michelangelo's marble statue, because whoever was responsible for creating Doctor Cullen would always win - hands down. This close to his chest, it was obvious that Doctor Cullen was well toned…and defined…and physically _perfect_…

Poor Michelangelo. Wherever he was, did he know what a cheap imitation his statue had turned out to be?

**EPoV**

She smelled like lavender and honey and flowers and something I couldn't even put a name to. Her body felt warm and soft. I mean, I'd had other women in my arms before. Jessica had been soft and slightly plump at the time, so many years ago. Gianna, just a week ago, had been tall and slender and toned. And Bree…well, Bree had always been so thin and fragile - delicate.

But Isabella…Isabella felt so…different. I didn't dare move my hands but Jesus the effort to keep them still was staggering, because I could feel her curves under my arms, how small her waist was, yet how round and voluptuous her ass was. As her chest rose and fell so close to me, I could see out of my periphery how full and ample her breasts were under that tiny tank top. Shit, she was Jessica Rabbit personified. God help me because they'd never taught us in med school what the M.O. was if a patient constantly gave you an erection.

She grinned. "Oops."

'Oops' was a goddamned understatement.

Slowly, I angled her down so that she could place her feet on the floor and when she did, I moved both my arms to her tiny waist to steady her. She kept her arms around my neck, her big brown eyes locked on mine.

"You have really pretty eyes," she blurted.

I couldn't help grinning, because I'd just been thinking the same thing about her eyes - and her ass and tits as well.

"So do you," I admitted with a small smile.

Two knocks sounded on the door just then and both our heads turned as the door opened wide…

And in walked Bree.

"Doctor Cullen, Julia told me you were in here and might need my…assistance."

Oh. Fuck.

She gasped and froze in her tracks, looking between my patient and me.

"Dr. Tanner," I said, and then nothing else, because I couldn't think of one. damn. thing. to say.

Meanwhile, my pretty little patient still had her arms wrapped around my neck. And oh shit, will you look at that? I still had my arms wrapped around her waist.

I dropped my arms quickly and pulled away from Ms. Swan, taking a few steps back. Isabella just watched me, still grinning her impish grin.

"Um, no," I said, turning back to Bree. "We have everything under control, actually."

"I can see," Bree said, her eyes flashing between Isabella and me. There was suddenly something strange in them - something…different. "Well I'll just let you get back to…whatever you were doing." She turned to leave.

"She was about to fall, Bree," I tried to explain, "and I-"

Bree whipped around. "Just lock the door next time, Edward," she hissed quietly, "so you don't get caught. That's what Mike and I do."

My scalp prickled, because I really hadn't needed to hear that shit and she _knew_ it.

Oh yeah?

"Perhaps next time you should wait to be invited in, _Doctor Tanner,_ and then you won't walk in on such an…uncomfortable situation."

Bree had always had big eyes. Jess and Tanya and the rest used to make fun of them when we were kids. They used to say she looked like an owl sometimes. I'd always found it endearing. I mean yeah, I wasn't blind, I could see they were…okay, _BIG_, but I was in love.

Now, I could sort of see where they got the owl reference from, because her eyes grew so wide it was almost comical.

"I suppose I just never expected to find you like _this_." Her huge eyes jumped between me and a still grinning Isabella. "It's not like it's something you and I-" – she shook her head and cleared her throat -"something _you_ would've ever done before."

"There are a lot of things I do now that I never used to do," I found myself answering. In the back of my mind, I was aware that this was the most un-friggin-professional conversation _ever_ to be had in front of a patient.

But Isabella kept grinning, looking between Bree and me as if all she needed was popcorn.

"Why don't you introduce us?" Bree suddenly asked.

Every muscle in my body tensed. Alright, so maybe I'd taken this a little too far.

Isabella moved forward and stuck her hand out. "Hi, I'm Isabella Swan," she smiled pleasantly.

Bree studied her up and down, her forehead wrinkled as she slowly took Isabella's hand. That expression crossed her face again, the one I'd never seen before…

"Doctor Tanner, was it?" Isabella asked, her grin still in place. Bree nodded, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "It's so nice to meet you, Doctor Tanner!" The shit was, she sounded so sincere.

And there it was again. Bree glared at Isabella and her face literally turned…green.

"Bree, I'd like you to meet Isabella." I cleared my throat. "My…girlfriend."

I guess I should've warned her, given her some sort of indication of what I was about to say, but really, I'd had no idea I was going to say that until the words were already out there.

Isabella choked, coughing violently. I moved forward quickly and patted her back.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" I flinched and prayed she wouldn't leave me hanging here. Or sue me.

Once the coughs subsided she turned and gave me a sideways glance. "I'm just fine. _H_o_ney. _Thanks." She smiled sardonically.

Oh fuck.

"So…how did you two meet?" Bree asked. She was going for nonchalant, but I knew her well. The way her dainty little nostrils flared slightly.

"At a club," Isabella said.

"In Tuscany," I happened to say at the same time.

Oh fuck.

"At a club in Tuscany," I clarified.

"You went to a club while you were in Tuscany?" Bree questioned, lifting a brow.

"Tuscany is full of wonders," I said dryly.

"Really Edward? A club in Tuscany? You?" Bree asked, putting her fists on her hips. She wasn't buying it, and that pissed me off, because what the hell was so unbelievable about that?

"Yes," I replied firmly. "I was at a club one night, drinking a beer and smoking a stogy," – out of the corner of my eye I could see Isabella watching me with a huge grin on her face – "when in walked this gorgeous girl-"

"Not that the beer and stogy affected his vision," Bella laughed, cutting me off. She put a hand on my chest, and I had to repress the shudder that her contact once again caused.

"We met at a club," Bella continued for me, her voice taking on a faraway air, "in a little town called Florence. Have you ever heard of Florence?"

"Of course I've heard of Florence," Bree bristled.

"Oh. Good," Isabella smiled on, ignoring Bree's tone. "Well there was this club there. El Bello Amore." She moved her mouth perfectly around the Italian words.

"The Beautiful Love?' Bree spit out dubiously.

"Yes!" Bella cried with an enthusiastic fist pump. "Yes! The Beautiful Love! Anyway," she continued, apparently on a roll now, "I walked into the club, and there, in the middle of a bunch of smoke and stale beer stench, was Edward. It was love at first sight." She sighed and put her hands over her heart. "Wasn't it darling?"

I blinked. "What? Oh yeah. Yeah. It sure was."

"He asked me to dance and didn't leave my side all night. And then come morning I took him back to my hotel room and screwed his brains out on the balcony overlooking the Ponte Vecchio."

Now it was my turn to choke.

"Do you know what the Ponte Vecchio is?" she asked Bree innocently.

Bree nodded, eyes wide and obviously horrified.

But this didn't stop Isabella. Didn't even slow her down. She smiled and turned her eyes back to me; they glazed over as she continued her tale.

"You should've seen the way our joined bodies glistened under the warm Tuscan sun that morning." She sighed dramatically. "And then afterwards, we lay all spent and sweaty on the balcony floor, while the scent of our lovemaking drifted and swirled all around us in the air. It was really beautiful - in a hot and erotic sort of way," she grinned wickedly.

Silence filled the air. Isabella wrapped her arms around my waist and looked up at me through those dark eyes of hers, and though at first all I could do was stare at her, my jaw hanging open, at one point when I looked in her eyes, I could've sworn I saw that smoky club in Florence, and I saw us out on that balcony, with the Ponte Vecchio in the background…

"We've been inseparable ever since," Bella sighed again, giving me an impish smile.

"So you brought her home with you, Edward?" Bree asked. Though she had no right to it, I could hear the note of hurt in Bree's voice.

I sighed, coming back down to reality. No, she had not right to it, but despite everything, I _couldn't_ hurt Bree. "Bree, actually none of that-"

"Yes," Isabella cut in. "Apparently two weeks of non-stop sexing just wasn't enough for him, so he brought me home so we could keep going at it like fucking bunnies. And I'm telling you, it has not _Stopped_," she whispered conspiratorially in Bree's direction.

Then she squeezed my ass and grinned wickedly again. "I mean, he even did me on the airplane! The airplane! Can you believe that? The man is friggin' _insatiable,_" she chuckled.

All color drained from Bree's face.

"Isabella! _Darling_," I said, disentangling her arms from around me, "You're arm's all fixed up. Now I really need to get back to my rounds."

"Oh!" Bella giggled. "Okay. I'll see you later then, honey pop." She turned back to Bree and lowered her voice again. "I'm sure you can guess why I call him honey pop," she chuckled, wriggling her brows.

"Isabella!" I yelled, fisting my hair. "Baby! I'll see you later!"

And then, with absolutely no warning – which I guess was only fair since I'd given her no warning about the whole 'girlfriend' thing - Isabella Swan, my crazy patient, threw her arms around my neck and pressed her mouth to mine.

If the sparks that flew when I touched her arm were strange, there were no words for this. My lips absolutely _burned_ when they touched hers. And I swear I meant to pull away, but I simply couldn't. It was like we were glued together at the mouth in a slow motion lip-lock that lasted and lasted.

And lasted.

Until I finally managed to pull my mouth away from hers. When I did, Isabella's lips remained puckered, her eyes closed. Slowly she opened her eyes and traced her lips with one finger.

"Wow," she chuckled lowly, her eyes shining.

I swallowed thickly. "I'll see you later, Isabella," I managed to murmur.

She smiled and then turned to Bree. "Doctor Tanner, it was nice to meet you." Again, there was nothing but genuineness in her voice.

Bree stared at her outstretched hand for a few seconds before meeting it silently.

And then Isabella Swan picked up her backpack and with one last backwards glance and grin my way, walked out of the room.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**The first few chapters of a story always raise a bunch of questions. Why did she say this? Why did he do that? So ask away, loves, if anything seems unclear, but be warned that I may or may not be able to answer just yet. :)**


	3. Chapter 3 Friendly & Flustered

**A/N: ***IMPORTANT*****

**I'll try to keep this short but there are two important things:**

**1. I won't get into all the drama going on with fanfiction, but in anticipation of any potential problems in the future with this fic, I've started posting it over at The Writer's Coffee Shop also. I am there under the penname prose817. I expect to post exactly the same chapters on exactly the same days, so in case anything happens to it here, you WILL be able to find it there. If I post any future stories, they'll be over there too.**

**2. For those of you who read or plan to read Thief of Hearts: I will be taking that story down soon. I expect it to be up for a couple more weeks or so, but after that I will start taking it down chapter by chapter, starting with the prologue. So if you haven't read it and would like to, now would be a good time to do so.**

**And thanks to my beta for checking this chappy out. She and I had such a hilarious mix-up with this, but for the sake of saving my rep, I won't go into details. Suffice it to say, Michelle's a saint for trying to beta this the first time I sent it to her!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

* * *

**Ch. 3 – Friendly and Flustered**

**BPoV**

_I didn't have to agree to it. I mean, it's not like you twisted my arm or anything, that's for sure. And no, I won't try to deny that I wanted the money. But I also wanted to help you, even if I'd personally never believed in a soul mate: in the one you were meant to be with and all that blah, blah, blah. Still, __**you**__ believed her to be your happily-ever-after, so __**I'd**__ do what I could to help you get her back. At least, that's what I told myself I was doing at the time..._

OOOOOOOOOO

I spent the rest of the day exploring the little town of Forks, Washington - population: approximately 3,120. There'd been more kids than that in my high school in Phoenix. I had to admit, though, it was a cute town: small buildings, one post-office, one bank, one pharmacy – your typical Main Street, USA. In the background, the greenest mountains you'd ever seen made the whole thing picture post-card perfect. I snapped pictures for Jamie, took notes for my book, and put everything back in my backpack when I was done. Lunch was had in a small diner where everyone seemed to know everyone else, and more than one curious pair of eyes rested on me not-so-subtly as I offed my burger and fries. But that was fine. Shyness was never my problem.

Then I smoked a cigarette while I stood outside the diner and thought of how pretty the color green actually was...

Afterwards, I did some window-shopping. I had eight twenties, five or six singles, three or four quarters, a couple of nickels, and _way_ too many pennies left in my wallet, and would have to find a job soon to build up enough to get me going once more. Then I'd move on, like I always did.

Twilight was already approaching when I found myself staring through the window of a quaint little Native American jewelry store in the middle of Forks' main square. The colors dazzled me as I tried to decide whether to check in at a local motel, (even a town this small _had_ to have a motel, right?) or hitch a ride to my next destination. The evening had crept up on me. I pulled out another cigarette to help me think and ponder my options for the night. It dangled loosely from my mouth as I searched for my lighter. When I glanced up, the eyes that had been circling around in my head all day appeared in the window's reflection behind me.

I whipped around, grinning.

Doctor Cullen stood there in his scrubs, hands in pockets, backpack swung over his shoulder, watching me and looking _sooo_ uber-beautiful.

He cleared his throat. "Ms. Swan."

The greeting, as well as the solemn expression he delivered it with, seemed silly considering all the crap that had gone down in his examining room this morning.

"Dr. Cullen," I responded, lifting my brows and chin arrogantly and mimicking his formal tone

His eyes fell to my mouth, and my heart jumped. For just the slightest second I thought he was signaling for another kiss, which, hell yeah I'd deliver. But as I looked down at my own lips, my eyes crossed as they zeroed in on the cigarette dangling from my mouth.

"Oh. Heh, heh," I chuckled weakly, removing the ciggy and stuffing it in my back pocket. "How in the world did that get in my mouth?" I wondered.

He – guess what? – smirked.

"Doctor Cullen," I chuckled again, and then to throw the focus off my ciggy, I asked, "Were you following me?"

His eyes grew wide. "No! Not at all! I've been at the hospital all day. Now I'm on my way-"

I laughed. "I'm just playing with you, Doctor."

He frowned. "You like doing that, don't you?"

"Doing what?"

"Disconcerting me. With your comments, I mean."

I laughed again. "Oh is _that_ what I do? Anyway, you should be one to talk, dear _boyfriend_."

He closed his eyes and let his head drop. "I'm _so_ sorry about all that. That was extremely unprofessional."

"Don't worry about it," I waved him off. When his head came back up and his eyes opened once more, we stared at each other silently.

"I was just…" – I thumbed towards the entrance to the shop – "going to take a look…"

"Oh," he mouthed, his lips freezing around the word.

"So…" I moved towards the door.

He followed me and held the door open - like a perfect gentlemen.

I walked under his arm and inhaled his manly and musky skin – like a horny fiend.

Inside, we looked around silently. Doctor Cullen seemed to know the guy behind the counter. They greeted each other with one of those guy handshakes where you shake with one hand and pat shoulders with the other? They made small talk while I only _vaguely_ listened because my attention had been grabbed by a necklace under one of the glass counters – so pretty - made out of seashells and feathers.

"Do you like it?" Doctor Cullen asked behind me. His breath fanned across my neck. I nodded.

"They're seashells from one of the local beaches. We used to collect them when we were kids."

"'We' as in you and _Doctor Tanner_?" I teased quietly, grinning and glancing at him sideways.

He smirked – again - and sighed heavily before answering. "No. Bree never did like the beach much. She doesn't enjoy the sand or sun."

"Oh." I chuckled and turned back to the necklace, keeping the rest of my thoughts to myself.

"Are you a friend of Edward's?" I looked up into the face of the guy Doctor Cullen had been speaking to. He had dark skin, and sharp, handsome Native American features.

"You can sort of say that, I suppose." I smiled impishly at the doc.

"What exactly does that mean?" the guy asked, looking between Doctor Cullen and me.

"It means I know you don't ever want to hear her singing," Doc Cullen finally said, but he had this lopsided grin going on and man oh man if a smirking Doc Cullen was hot, a lopsided grin one? No words. Just kill me. Now.

"Isabella?"

"Huh? Oh!" I chuckled. "Actually, what it means," I said, snapping myself back, "is that _I_ know _he_ secretly likes to smoke stogies and drink loads of beer," I countered with a grin of my own.

The guy laughed and Doctor Cullen rolled his eyes, but I could see the amusement in them. Jeez, who knew those eyes could get even more gorgeous when they crinkled at the corners?

"Yeah, we did have fun back in the day, Ed. Didn't we?" the guy said once his laughter subsided.

"Shut up, Sam," Doctor Cullen groaned.

"Aha, so I was right!" I chuckled heartily, pointing an accusing finger in Doctor Cullen's face. He jerked back to avoid my poking his eyes. "There _is_ someone fun hiding under those scrubs! Let him out, Doc!" I demanded. And then, in my best operatic imitation, which tended to leave people speechless, I added, "_Fun boy, fun boy, come out to plaaaay. Come out, come out, wherever you aaaare._"

I even threw in my best hand gestures. It was quite a performance I must say.

They both stared at me.

Sam burst out laughing. "Edward, where in the world did-"

"Sam, why don't you go finish closing up?" he said dismissively.

The guy simply chuckled. "I'm Sam by the way, and you are…?"

"I'm Bella," I grinned. "I mean" – I looked at Doctor Cullen sideways – "_Isa_bella."

Smirk. Smirk. Smirk.

"Or," I said slyly, putting my hands out again, "_Isabellaaaa,_" I sopranoed dramatically.

Sam's forehead wrinkled in amusement. Then he chortled again. "I've got to close up, but _Isa_bella, it was really nice meeting you." Then he turned and said something to Doctor Cullen in a language I didn't understand, but which I assumed was his Native American tongue. Whatever it was made Doc Cullen's eyes darken. He shook his head stiffly.

Sam raised his brows. "No? Then maybe you should introduce her to Jake. She's just his-"

"Goodbye Sam," Doc Cullen practically hissed. Sam snorted and walked away, shaking his head.

When I looked back at Doctor Cullen, the constant smirk was back in place.

He sighed. "By any chance, has anyone ever told you that you're just" – he pinched two fingers together – "a tad bit out there?"

Yeah, I'd heard it before. But sticks and stones and all that was something I'd learned pretty early on. From Jamie - and from life in general. I simply shrugged and laughed it off.

He rolled his eyes. "Are you going to get anything, or what?"

I shook my head and looked back down at the pretty necklace. "Can't afford to right now. I've got _just enough_ for one night at a motel, either in this town or the next."

I met his eyes then. He frowned, as if trying to figure out if I was joking. I held his gaze.

"And what's the next town?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Wherever I end up."

He stared at me for a few moments longer. "Just like that? Wherever you end up?"

"Yup," I nodded, popping my 'p.'

He frowned again, and then walked away.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

The girl was definitely certifiable.

Still, I took Isabella back to Emmett and Rose's restaurant for dinner because – get this – she'd stuffed her face at lunchtime so she could make _that_ her meal for the day – since her wallet was getting thin and all. And okay, I kind of owed her for what had gone down at the hospital. And yeah, I felt kind of bad about constantly smirking at her.

But she just kept saying and doing things that drove me up the wall. I mean, who the hell cuts into an operatic aria in the middle of a conversation? And what kind of person in this day and age wanders from town to town aimlessly? This wasn't San Francisco in the seventies for the love of god. Besides, my smirks didn't seem to faze her one bit, based on how she kept laughing in my face. So I offered to buy her dinner and apparently – and not surprisingly – she wasn't one to turn down a free meal.

Though once Rosalie seated us, I did start wishing I would've thought things through a bit better. Other than a wry and curious grin, Rose said not one word as she led us to our table. That right there was a bad sign. I hadn't seen my sister-in-law since I returned from my trip, and it sure as hell wasn't like her to be quiet.

Then there were the looks from everyone inside the restaurant. As much as I loved Forks, I had to admit, there were instances in which knowing everyone in town, and having everyone in town know you was not ideal. A prime example would be when my girlfriend of almost a decade broke up with me and then started dating one of my best friends.

Another time? When I brought in a beautiful but strange stranger to share a meal with me.

My dinner companion may have been a bit strange, but she sure as hell wasn't shy. She looked around from side to side, smiling back at everyone that openly stared at us.

"Friendly town isn't it?" she said my way, opening up her menu.

"Don't let'em fool you," I told her, looking through my own menu. "They're just wondering who the hell you are."

She laughed – loudly – as if I'd just told the most hilarious joke, and looked around the room once more, waving at everyone. I reached out and pulled her hand down.

And there went those strange sparks again.

"Stop doing that!" she hissed, pulling her hand away quickly. She was still smiling though.

"I'm not doing anything!" I said once more, like back at the hospital. "Are you wearing polyester or something?"

She chortled. "You're really chock full of compliments, aren't you Doctor Cullen?"

I put down my menu and sighed, running my hand through my hair. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just not used to…someone like you."

"Was I really your first patient?" she asked, excitement in her pretty voice.

I nodded.

"Well you did great!" she said enthusiastically, rubbing carefully at her stitches. "It barely hurt at all when you sewed me up."

"Thank you," I grinned proudly.

Something happened to her eyes then. I'd noticed they tended to glaze over at times…was it a medical condition? Allergies?

She looked away and cleared her throat. "Now your bedside manner may need just a teeny, tiny" – she pressed her thumb and forefinger together tightly, narrowing her eyes into slits – "more work," she said sweetly. "But if you plan on kissing all your female patients at the end of the consultation, I'm sure they won't even notice." She gave me another one of her impish grins.

I put my menu down and dropped my head. "I can't tell you how sorry I am about that," I said once again. "There is simply no excuse for what I-"

"Sure there is," she interrupted me. "You were trying to get _Doctor Tanner_" - she said Bree's name in a playful uppity tone – "all worked up and jealous, and I'd say it worked like a charm," she whispered conspiratorially, leaning in with a wink and a smile.

The girl seriously confounded me. I mean, what kind of girl was okay with being used to make another girl jealous?

I nodded slowly, allowing myself to search her eyes to see if I could detect any hidden anger, or irritation. But her deep brown eyes were clear and laughing.

"It's all good," she exclaimed, giving me a thumbs up before going back to her menu.

I studied her. She really was beautiful, in a strange sort of way. Her hair was wild, as if it hadn't seen a brush in a couple of days at least, but it sort of looked like those girls in magazine covers that went for that look on purpose. Her complexion was smooth and clear, downright perfect really. She'd never have need for a dermatologist, that's for sure. Her eyes…I frowned. That was the part of her that kept disconcerting me. I decided to skip her eyes, but since I did, my eyes immediately strayed to her breasts. Fuck, they were perfect too; just the right size - not too big but definitely not small by any measure. And before I could stop myself, the errant thought was there. What they'd feel like. Jessica's had been bigger, but Isabella's looked rounder, perkier. Gianna's back in Italy, had been smaller and Bree's…yeah, Bree's were definitely a lot smaller…

"Edward, your mom was waiting for you tonight. She'd been under the impression you'd stop by at the house for dinner."

I looked up at Rosalie, my sister-in-law. She grinned at me and one brow rose, looking curiously between Isabella and me. Yeah, I really should've thought this through better and taken Isabella either back to the diner where she'd had her lunch or to the pizzeria a few blocks down. She looked like she'd like pizza.

I put my menu back down and refused to answer Rosalie's unspoken question, instead answering the one she'd asked directly. "I've got to be back at the hospital in a few hours so I won't be stopping by tonight. I'll go see'em tomorrow."

"Oh. Well, that's a shame because they were all waiting for you. Emmett stayed home with the baby tonight, and I told him I'd take care of the restaurant. And Jazz just got home from Dartmouth last night. They were hoping to have a guy's night." Her eyes flashed to Bella again. Of course, Bella grinned widely at her.

"That's not going to be easy with my schedule at the hospital." I grinned crookedly at her. "Now did this 'Guy's Night' include Brady?"

She shoved my arm. "Your mom would've watched the baby, Edward. You know that." Finally, it seemed she couldn't take it any longer with the small talk. "So who's your friend, Edward?"

Nope. Rosalie had never been one to beat around the bush much.

Isabella's hand shot out immediately. "Hi! I'm _Isa_bella Swan." She stressed the first two syllables in her name again.

Rosalie shook her hand with a bewildered grin. "_Isa_bella Swan, I'm Rosalie Cullen, Edward's sister-in-law."

Isabella's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "You're part of his family? It's _so_ great to meet you!"

Rosalie brow furrowed. "And who, may I ask, are-"

"Rosalie, we're ready to order," I cut in loudly and firmly.

Rose narrowed her eyes at me, but took our orders without another word. I could only imagine how quickly she'd be calling the family once she got back into the kitchen. I smirked.

"There you go smirking again," Isabella said. "Why do you do that so much?"

I blinked, startled by her question. "I didn't realize I…" – but I had realized it. "I'm sorry," I said once again. "I guess I've just had a difficult day."

"Was it a bad first day?" she asked, and the shit is, I could swear I heard real concern, real interest in her voice. It kind of shocked me, because it had been a while since I'd heard that real concern and interest in a female voice. Even with Bree, those last few months had been full of stress and arguments. There'd been no concern or interest in her part.

So I told her about my first day. No, it hadn't been bad. But it had been busy. And after my morning with her, it had been hard to focus. I didn't tell her that part, but I found myself telling her everything else about my day. And she listened and laughed and frowned and made all these weird comments - but some not-so-weird too. She was actually really easy to talk to – when she wasn't breaking into song, that is.

Our food came and other than a few comments on my family, Rosalie didn't ask who Isabella was again, thank God, because I wasn't sure how to answer at this point. So we ate and talked, and Isabella scarfed her entire burger in less time than it took me to finish my salad. I wondered aloud how somebody her size could eat so much.

"It's a gift," she laughed, chewing on a fry.

"You really should watch what you eat," I scolded, more irritated at myself suddenly. "All that artery clogging fat isn't good for you. Besides, the pounds may catch up to you one day."

She put down her fry and leveled me with those disconcerting brown eyes.

"Are you trying to say something about my weight, Doctor Cullen?"

"What? No! No, of course not! I mean, you're absolutely perfectly proportioned!"

She grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "What I mean is…"

She gazed at me intently, and I had no idea what to say. Finally, Isabella broke out into fits of loud laughter.

"My mom's in her forties and she _still_ turns heads, much to my dad's ire," she chuckled. "So I figure I'll look good at least until I'm forty-five." She stuffed another fry in her mouth. "After that, when I'm in my fifties or sixties, it won't matter if my milkshake no longer brings the boys to the yard." She half-lifted her perfect ass off the chair so she could shake it in illustration.

Jesus Christ, this girl was going to kill me. I silently gave thanks for the table hiding my now-growing hard-on.

But she started laughing again, and I couldn't help laughing along with her this time.

Her eyes glazed over once more, disconcerting me once again.

"You should laugh more often, Doc. It really is a sight," she murmured.

I told her about Bree then - about why I didn't laugh much anymore.

* * *

**A/N: Sidenote: I speak in an opera voice. Pretty often. Sometimes in public. My children stare at me funny. So does my hubby. I don't care. I don't do it at work though. I have my limits. But I'd probably do it for my doctor if he was cute.**

**Reviews are so wonderful guys. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts…**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**TWCS: Prose817**


	4. Chapter 4 Memories & Pursuits

**A/N: I'd like to clear up a couple of things:**

**1. I have no plans to remove this story from fanfiction. Unfortunately, I have no control over what the administrators on this website may have planned in the future. Right now, IP is pretty clean, but there will be some lemons coming up that ffic may not approve of. But if it does ever get pulled, it'll be at TWCS.**

**2. Regarding Thief of Hearts, when I pull that storyI it WILL NOT be posted anywhere else. I have other plans for ToH. I do not plan to pull any of my other stories though. **

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for being my wing-woman.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Memories & Pursuits**

**BPoV**

_I think the reason I felt so nervous with you that first night was because I knew you were going to propose that I stay, though I must admit that the proposal itself did surprise me. But I'll let you in on a little secret now. I was always going to say yes, even to the parts I pretended shocked me. So don't ever feel bad or guilty for what you proposed, for getting me to stay, because I think that, one way or another, I would've found a reason to stay before that night ended…_

OOOOOOOOOO

They'd been dating since senior year of high school though they'd known each other forever more or less. In a town this small, everyone knew everyone, and Bree and Edward had been friends since elementary school. Their parents were friends and they all hung out with more or less the same crowd. It had been basically inevitable, he told me, that they would end up together.

"Why inevitable?" I asked.

"Because," he shrugged, looking away sheepishly. "We were meant to be together."

I tried. I swear I tried. But in the end I couldn't help it.

I burst out laughing.

"What?" he snapped indignantly.

"It's just that," I wrapped my arms around my stomach, "I don't believe in two people being _meant to be. _That's just the stuff of fairy-tales."

"Well you've obviously never been in love then," he said dryly.

I couldn't argue with that, so I didn't. It sobered me up. A little bit. "So if you two are meant to be, then why aren't you together, and why did you have your tongue down my throat twelve hours ago?"

His nostrils flared. "First of all, there was no tongue involved, as I recall."

He was right. Had there been tongue, I wouldn't have been sitting here right now. I would've been thoroughly D-E-A-D.

He continued enumerating his facts, "Second, it was you that kissed me, not the other way around."

"Point well made," I conceded with a nod of the head, and then waved a hand. "Please, continue."

"We both went to medical school together. We got an apartment in New Hampshire a couple of years ago but I think…the pressures of med school and a relationship and everything else just got too much for her, you know?"

I nodded once, even though I _didn't_ know. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong because I'd never been _in love_ before, but weren't two people that were crazy about each other and meant to be and all that crap supposed to deal with all those pressures _together_?

He sighed and looked so sad suddenly, so I decided not to verbalize those thoughts. What I wanted to do was reach out and comfort him, but wasn't sure how. So I simply listened.

"A few months ago, she came back to Forks for a couple of weeks, while I remained in New Hampshire. I was doing an internship at the local hospital there." He swallowed thickly. "When she returned, everything was different. We argued all the time. She said we wanted different things; that I'd changed too much over the years. That I'd been…fun at first, but now I was too rigid, too…boring," he flinched. "The shit is," he grinned bitterly, tugging at his bronze hair, "I'd changed for _her_. She'd thought I was too playful, too immature when we'd first started dating."

"So why didn't you just change back?"

"It's not that easy Isabella. This is who I am now. I can't just…_change_."

"Did you go to medical school for her?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. I've always wanted to be a doctor."

I nodded pensively.

"Her course-load had been a bit less rigorous than mine, so she finished school a few months before me. She moved out, moved back here to Forks, and then next thing I hear, she's dating one of my best friends, who is now the hospital's assistant administrator."

"Oh shit," I snorted. "That's rough."

He nodded, lips pursed. "I mean what the fuck? He was supposed to be one of my best friends. How could he do that? How could they both do that? I loved her. I still…"

I frowned. "Do you still love her, or are you just pissed at the way things ended?"

"No!" he hissed. "We spent almost a decade together! That has to mean something, right?"

I shrugged. What the hell did I know about these things? The last 'meaningful' relationship I'd had, had ended with me sneaking out in the middle of the night while poor Felix snored his little heart away.

"Does it have to mean something because of the time you invested in the relationship, or because you actually-"

"You know what?" he cut me off angrily. "You basically admitted you've never been in love. You wander from town to town with a shitty backpack flung over your shoulder eating a big lunch so that you don't have to pay for breakfast or dinner. What do you know about life? About love? _Why_ am I even talking to _you_ about this?"

Okay. Jamie had taught me about sticks and stones, but he'd also taught me not to let any motherfucker try to put me down, no matter how sad or beautiful said motherfucker was.

"Thanks so much for dinner, Doctor," I said, standing up quickly and giving him a mock salute. "Take care and I really hope everything works out for you."

And with that, I picked up my shitty backpack and left.

OOOOOOOOOO

EPoV

It took me five minutes to get up from that table. Not because I didn't feel like shit for what I'd said, but because I wasn't sure what the point in going after her would be. Yes, I'd insulted her. Yes, I felt like an asshole for it. But she was leaving town anyway, and I'd never see her again. All in all, that was probably for the best. She disconcerted me.

"Where'd your friend go?" Rosalie asked when she came with the check. "You'd better not let Bree see you with her. This one seems to have some substance. Not like that girl from Port Angeles you tried parading around town a couple of months ago. She was pretty but it was obvious to anyone with two eyes that there was absolutely no chemistry there. This one might actually make Bree jealous."

"Bree has no right to be jealous," I said emptily, pulling out my wallet to pay for the bill.

"That's exactly what we've all been trying to tell you," Rosalie exhaled with obvious exasperation. "Bree has no rights anymore, Edward. Have you _finally_ gotten that through your head?"

I stared at her. She was right. I'd tried once or twice to make Bree jealous, but it had never worked because it had been obvious to everyone that although another girl may have been in my company, it was still Bree on my mind.

But Isabella…

What had been that strange charge I felt every time I'd touched her? I'd never felt anything like that before. Is that what they called…chemistry?

But what exactly was chemistry? Sure, I was physically attracted to Isabella, and sure I found her interesting - though loony as hell, and yeah, she'd been surprisingly easy to talk to. But chemistry? What was it? It just meant two people connected on some strange level, not necessarily a romantic one.

Had Bree caught on to that strange…chemistry just by seeing us together in that examining room? Is that why she'd been…jealous?

OOOOOOOOOO

I caught up with Isabella about a mile into the one-oh-one. She was walking down the dark road, cigarette in one hand while the thumb from her other hand stuck out in a signal that could only mean one thing:

Hitchhiking.

I pulled over in front of her and put my blinkers on, stepping out into the misty night air.

She stopped and took a puff of her cigarette, staring at me blankly. I ignored the smoke that blew my way. For now.

"Is that how you got here?" I asked incredulously. "By hitchhiking?"

She shrugged carelessly. "It's an acceptable form of transportation."

"Yes, yes it is. For lunatics that want to get killed!_ Or RAPED!"_ I hissed.

She took another drag of her cigarette and kept staring at me, expressionless. I swear, I'd never met anyone so maddening in my entire life.

"Doctor," she finally said, "I've been on my own for a while now and can take pretty good care of myself." Then she grinned. "I sure took care of that guy this morning that tried to touch me."

"What guy?" I asked, suddenly furious. My eyes narrowed into slits.

She rolled her eyes and exhaled. "This white-bearded logger dude I hitched a ride from over in Seattle. He tried to get fresh with me this morning, but my brother Jamie taught me how to give a good right hook!" she laughed.

And despite everything, I couldn't help cracking a small smile as I pictured her decking some logger dude in a truck.

"Unfortunately," she sighed, "that's when he pulled over and pushed me out of the truck."

The smile withered off my face. "Some guy pushed you out of his truck?"

"Mhm," she nodded. "That's how I ended up with the cut that necessitated these stitches."

I glared at her, dumbfounded and abruptly almost as angry with her as with the fucking logger that had thrown her out of his truck.

"Jesus, how have you survived this long?" I blurted.

She took another puff of her cigarette. "You'd be surprised how well I do, Doc. I've seen half of the country this way. And someday I'd like to actually leave the continent!"

I leaned against the Volvo and crossed my arms. "How can you live that way?" I asked her honestly. There was none of the anger or hostility in my voice that had been there earlier at the restaurant.

She walked over and leaned against the car, next to me, keeping her cigarette at bay.

"It's very…freeing, actually," she chuckled, "and relaxing. No schedules, no obligations - just me and the world. I…write about what I see. And I take pictures for my brother Jamie."

"So you have no real home?"

She bit her lip and looked down, and for the first time since I'd met Isabella Swan, something unreadable flashed across her pretty face – like there was something she was trying to keep to herself, something she surprisingly wasn't willing to share.

"I had a home, of course. Doesn't everyone?" She was quiet. "But I like this more."

"I could never live like that."

She chuckled quietly. "I know _you_ couldn't."

I smirked. "So what does your family think about this…way of life of yours?'

"My parents are fine with it," she shrugged matter-of-factly. "Jamie misses me though." Her eyes took on a far-away look.

"Do you ever go back to see them?"

"Sometimes," she murmured quietly without elaboration, her head still down. Then she grinned. "Hey, do you know where I _really_ want to go someday?"

"Where?" I asked.

She looked up and her eyes met mine. "To Tuscany. To Florence. To Venice. To Pisa. And to that place in your picture - Lucca. Man, I could write and write about those places, and take _so_ many pictures for Jamie." Her voice had taken on a dreamy quality, and I found myself transfixed, almost…hypnotized by it…by her eyes. She was fascinating really - in a Bohemian sort of way.

I swallowed thickly. "Well you can't hitchhike your way over there."

She chuckled quietly and moved her eyes beyond me. I noticed she hadn't taken a puff from her cigarette in a while. It was wasting away at her side, the smoke rising grey against the dark night. "Someday I'll stay somewhere and get a real job and save up so I can go. Anyway," – she gave me an impish sidelong glance - "I've heard backpacking isn't as frowned upon by the Europeans."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't like the idea of you backpacking," I blurted honestly.

Her eyes flashed back to me and she grinned widely. Her teeth were perfectly white against the dark night. I frowned, wondering how long they'd remain that way with that object in her other hand.

"I thought you only smoked occasionally, when you're stressed?" I questioned, trying to change the subject. For some reason, I felt abruptly exposed and uncomfortable - disconcerted.

She chuckled again, and looked up at the sky. "You've got to admit, Doc, today's been a bit on the stressful side."

I flinched, feeling more than slightly guilty. "I'm sorry again, Isabella, about the hospital, and…about what I said at the restaurant."

She gazed at me thoughtfully, and then with a roll of her own eyes, she dropped the cigarette to the ground and stomped it out with her black high-top Converse.

And yeah, being the anal guy I tended to be, I bent down and picked the stump up.

"These trees have been here for hundreds of years. I'd hate to see them go up in smoke just because I stressed you out."

"How generous of you to blame yourself instead of me," she teased.

"It would mostly be your fault though, I was just being gentlemanly."

"_Such_ a gentleman. See you around _Sir_ Cullen," she taunted, and started walking away.

And the question will always be, why did I _really_ stop her?

"Isabella, wait!" I reached and grabbed her arm while the expected sparks burned and shot their way up my own arm. But just because I'd anticipated them this time didn't make them any less mind-blowing.

She gasped sharply and paused in her steps, turning around with a grin. Back then, she was always grinning.

I exhaled through narrowed lips and let the burn die down a bit before I spoke. "So where _are_ you headed?"

"Told you. I don't know."

"You really have no idea where you're going to end up tonight."

"Nope. That's part of the magic of backpacking."

I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You said…you said someday you'll stop and get a real job, something that'll get you that trip to Tuscany."

"Yeah…"

I ran one hand through my hair while squeezing her arm with the other. "What if…I had an offer for you? A way you could earn more than enough money to get you to Tuscany, in only a couple of months. Would you stay then?"

"It would depend on what the offer was. Is it at least marginally legal?"

I nodded. Part of me couldn't believe what I was getting ready to propose, but damn it, I was desperate. I'd spent almost ten years with Bree and then because she came home confused one summer Mike stepped in and took her away from me? I was supposed to just be okay with that? I was supposed to just step aside and let her go?

And what Rosalie had said before was true. For some strange reason, Isabella and I did seem to have some sort of strange connection. Call it chemistry if you will, but Bree had seen that, and it had accomplished something I'd _never_ seen in Bree before – jealousy; which meant she _still_ wanted me. I just had to show her that she and I were meant to be together.

And that's where Isabella, the beautiful wanderer, came in. It was a win-win situation.

I put my palms out in front of me. "Now hear me out before you say anything," I warned.

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**A/N: Thoughts? Hit me up guys and let me know what's going through your minds regarding Quirkella.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**TWCS: Prose817**


	5. Chapter 5 Proposal & Acceptance

**A/N: Before we begin the next chappy, there are a few important things: **

**1. I want to remind everyone that I'm definitely an HEA ALL THE WAY kind of girl. Some of you are _already_ concerned! LOL! **

**2. The italicized beginning of each chapter are parts of a letter. That's all I can say about that right now. And…**

**3. IP has been nominated for Fic of the Week over at The Lemonade Stand, along with some other great stories! Go on over and take a look and vote for your favorites. The top five will be featured next week as Fics of the Week. **

**www(dot)tehlemonadestand(dot)net**

**Alright, I haven't had a chance to get back to all reviews yet, but I'm totally enjoying all your theories. A few questions I can't answer yet, but relax guys, the drama is still quite a bit aways. So enjoy Quirkella and Uptightward and remember, no matter what, Happily Ever After. **

**Thx to my lovely beta Michelle Renker Rhodes for being my second in command.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

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**Chapter 5 - Proposal and Acceptance**

**BPoV**

_And if I'd said no, what would you have done then? Would you have persisted somehow? Upped the ante? Increased the payoff? Would you have begged? Pleaded? I ask all this for a reason. See, you weren't willing to let **her** go so easily. _

_How hard would you have tried to hold on to **me**? _

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward squirmed and sweated, a thin sheen of moisture formed on his furrowed brow while he waited anxiously for my answer. I suppose it was kind of evil of me to make him sweat it out. I mean, it's not like I didn't already know what my answer would be. It wasn't like I had anything else to do with my time anyway and holy hell, fifteen thousand dollars just for one summer of my time? Doc Cullen was obviously loaded.

But still, it took me a few minutes to work it all out in my head, all the ins and outs and implications. And all the while he stood there stiffly, watching me, running his hands through his hair; scrubbing them down his face.

"So let me get this straight," I finally said. He stopped all his nervous gestures and stood stock still. "You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend for the summer in order to get your ex-girlfriend jealous in the hopes that she'll realize just how much she still loves you and dump this dude Mike for you."

"Yes," he nodded.

"Yes," I repeated, and then snorted. "And you call _me_ a tad bit out there, Doc?"

He sighed heavily. "Isabella, I'm desperate here. I've tried to put her out of my mind but I simply can't. She and I…it was almost ten years!"

I bit the inside of my lip and kicked at the dirt with the tip of my Converse, watching the mud stain the white rubber. It felt wet and sticky and my foot kept getting stuck.

"So who would know, other than you and I, that this was just a set-up?"

"No one," he shook his head. "If we want to pull this off, everyone would have to be completely convinced that you and I were in a relationship. That we were…" – he swallowed – "in love."

"In love," I repeated with an arched brow. "So what would it entail physically? Holding hands, hugs, kisses..."

"It would depend on the circumstances, but yes," he said slowly, holding my gaze, "as the situation called for, we'd probably have to do some public touching, hand holding, hugs," – he cleared his throat – "kissing."

"Sex?"

"No!" he said quickly. "There would be no need for that! It would all be in the name of convincing people, convincing _Bree_, that we were a couple, that's all."

I remained silent, but there must've been something in my face. He scowled my way.

"What?"

"Nothing," I said evenly.

He sighed again. "Isabella, I'm not propositioning you here."

I arched another brow. "Uhm, doc, you're offering to pay me fifteen grand to be your girlfriend for the summer. I think that kinda constitutes a proposition."

"To _pretend_ to be my girlfriend," he clarified with his own arched brow.

I arched both eyebrows.

"Fine. Okay, okay," he conceded, running his hand through his hair again. "It's semantics. But it's not a proposition in the illegal sense. I don't expect you to" – he waved a hand nervously, as if searching for the right words – "compromise your virtue for me."

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing again and also to keep the obvious contradiction of what he was saying and what he was proposing at bay. For a few seconds I simply studied him. He was so utterly beautiful, this strange, new doctor who apparently had it all: looks, brains, money.

All…except the one thing he wanted.

"Can I ask you something Doc? Wouldn't it be easier to just meet someone new and fall in love again?"

He shook his head vehemently. "It doesn't work that way, Isabella. You can't pick who you fall in love with," he explained slowly, "or who you have that…connection with."

I crossed my arms in front of me. "So why me, Doctor Cullen?"

"Why you?" he asked, his brows pulling together again.

"Mhm. Let's be honest here. You're not exactly hard to look at. I'm sure there'd be plenty of girls lining up willing to play your girlfriend for a couple of months. And _you_" – I pointed a sharp finger in his direction and smiled sardonically – "think that _I'm_ just a tad bit…out there. So why. Me?" I repeated.

He took a couple of steps in my direction - so close I could see every speckle of color in his green eyes; I could feel his breaths on me as his chest heaved anxiously.

"Why you?" he smirked, and without warning reached out and placed his hand on my arm. I gasped immediately at the contact, and saw him inhale sharply, but he didn't stop, or pull away. Instead he brought his other hand to my other arm and then ran them both up and down slowly, sending wave after wave of burning heat everywhere his hands touched, raising every fine hair on my body.

"That's why," he answered, finally stilling his hands, leaving my heart racing. "Isabella, Bree's never been the jealous type. I suppose because she always knew there was nothing for her to be jealous of. But you saw how she was in that examining room this morning. It's you. She sensed the charge you give off, and she thinks…"

"That you're really attracted to me," I finished for him.

He nodded, and dropped his hands from my arms. I shivered from the sudden cold.

"You're a beautiful woman, Isabella." He frowned when he said it though, as if for some reason that fact upset him. "Of course I find you attractive. But I'm-"

"But your heart belongs to Bree," I sang out, putting my hands over my heart and fluttering my eyelashes.

He smirked, of course, but nodded slowly.

We were silent for a while, watching each other, lost in our own thoughts. It was strange, but as far as I knew, I'd never given off that 'charge,' as he called it, before.

"Alright." I clapped my hands together more bravely than I really felt. "Let's discuss logistics. It's the end of May. Assuming I agreed to this, you'd want to continue for the entire summer, or until you win Bree back, whichever comes first."

"Correct."

"So what happens if one of us backs out before either of those two conditions applies?"

He frowned, narrowing his eyes as if he were surprised by my questions, shocked not to be dealing with a _total_ moron here. Apparently, he was still working things out himself, because he looked up at the blackened sky, tapping his finger on his chin thoughtfully.

He pointed a finger at me. "Alright, if I back out for any other reason other than those aforementioned, or other than for you having done something to completely sabotage our arrangement, then I will give you the entire fifteen thousand. If you back out before one of the aforementioned reasons, or other than if I do something ungentlemanly to completely sabotage our arrangement, then you get nothing."

"So if I play my part and she comes back to you in two weeks-"

"You get fifteen thousand dollars."

"And if she comes back to you in two and a half months-"

"You get fifteen thousand dollars."

"And if I stay for the entire three month season, and the summer is over and Doctor Tanner doesn't come back to you?"

His expression hardened: an almost frightening fury took over his features. It kind of confused me because sure, I was admittedly no expert on _love_, but shouldn't that thought have saddened him more than angered him?

"Then you still get your fifteen thousand," he said coolly.

I nodded slowly, tapping my own finger against my chin, my lips and then my nose. "That'll definitely be enough to get me to Tuscany."

"Yes. It will," he agreed, but his voice had grown as frigid as ice.

I handed him my backpack and he flung it over his shoulder.

"One more thing before I get in," I said, opening the passenger door to his car.

"Oh, _my_ car you're afraid to get in without asking fifty questions, yet you hitchhike all over the country with crazy logger men who try to cop a feel while you're singing your little heart out," he scowled.

I laughed loudly. The sound reverberated throughout the quiet forest road. "Just 'cause you're a doctor, Doctor, doesn't mean you're not some sort of perv!" He rolled his eyes and held the door open for me while I got in. "Can we have this proposal typed up and notarized?" I asked once he'd gotten in the driver's seat.

He looked over at me with that special 'you're crazy' look I was starting to find so endearing.

"I'll have the town judge give it his seal of approval and send a copy out to your lawyer in the morning for review," he said dryly.

"Yay!" I cheered, grinning widely.

OOOOOOOOOO

EPoV

She took a shower, singing up a storm in the bathtub while I stared at myself in the mirror and wondered what the hell I'd just gotten myself into.

Forty-five minutes later, Isabella finally emerged from the bathroom. I was going to ask her if, in her infinite kindness, she'd managed to leave a drop of hot water for me. But then I caught sight of her bedtime outfit.

A long purple and orange 'Phoenix Suns' jersey.

And while I was not a Phoenix Suns fan, that's _all_ she was wearing.

Yeah, I probably wouldn't need any hot water in my shower tonight anyway.

She bounced lightly on the bed, where I'd been sitting and waiting - and waiting - for her to get out so I could take my own bath, and folded her lean legs under herself, chuckling and apparently oblivious to the way her nipples stood against the jersey, or the way her legs lay exposed all the way up to her thighs.

I swallowed thickly, clutching my own pajama bottoms close to my groin to hide what her bedtime outfit was doing to me.

"What is that?" I asked, pointing at the jersey.

She looked down at herself and frowned, cocking her head to the side and stretching her shirt out in front of her.

"What is it, do you see a hole? Or a stain?" She looked up quickly and anxiously. But then she chuckled. A knowing grin spread across her pretty face. "Wait a minute, is this one of those tricks where you point at a make-believe stain and when I look down you trail your finger all the way up my chest and then poke my face?"

"What?"

She smirked. Her brows lifted and she pointed at my green scrub shirt.

"What's that?"

"What's what?" I looked down to see what she was pointing at.

Her finger trailed up my chest and then poked my lips playfully.

"Gotcha! Ha, Ha!" She burst out laughing and threw herself against the bed, rocking back and forth and side to side and giving me the most glorious bird's eye view of the black thong that was doing a very poor job of covering her perfectly round and plump ass.

_Jesus Lord Almighty, help_.

I closed my eyes and exhaled through my nose. When I opened them back up, she was sitting upright again, grinning and chuckling, oblivious, her deep brown eyes sparkling.

"Doctor, you really are gullible. I would've thought you would've seen that one coming a mile away. Jamie taught me that one when I was about two."

She was nuts. Certifiably, one-hundred percent, unequivocally nuts.

"So Doc, you got any board games?"

"What?"

"I was thinking we could play Monopoly or something when you get out of the shower."

I opened my mouth to tell her she was nuts, but then closed it.

"Isabella, you do realize it's almost three in the morning? I've got to be at the hospital by six."

"Oh," she smiled sheepishly. "That's right. You're a _doctor._" She sat up straight as an arrow and jutted her chin out arrogantly. Unfortunately, her chest jutted out too, giving me an even better view of those perky nipples.

I tried my best to ignore them, but for some reason I felt irritated again. "Yes, I'm a doctor. It's how we met, remember? And besides, you keep calling me Doc or Doctor, so I would think this is something you know."

"Are you always this uptight, Doctor?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. Only there was nothing hostile or sharp in her own tone; just simple curiosity.

She was the most confounding creature.

I scrubbed a hand down my face and sighed, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my own voice. "I'm a doctor, Isabella. It's a lot of work, especially right now, when I'm just starting out. Actually, you're probably going to have to spend a lot of time by yourself for the next few months."

She shrugged. "I'll find ways to entertain myself. I always do."

Half of my mouth lifted up in a wry grin. "I'm sure you do."

She simply nodded, swallowing thickly. Her eyes took on that strange dazed look again before she suddenly looked away, picking at her shirt absently.

For some reason, I really wanted her to look at me again. "And that reminds me, you should really stop calling me Doc. I know I'm a bit arrogant, but even _I_ would never expect my girlfriend to constantly call me 'Doctor."

Her eyes flashed back up to me, and when she saw I was teasing, she smiled again. I grinned widely, feeling…relieved for some reason.

"Oh so you _have_ noticed your slight problem with arrogance, _Edward_. I was under the impression you were completely unaware of it, _Edward_. Maybe now that you've owned up to the problem we can work on it, _Edward_."

I chuckled despite the obvious jab. This made her grin impossibly wider. Yeah, she had a great body, but it was her sharp tongue and wit that got to me.

I leaned into her. Her eyes widened, but she remained still. "I'll make you a deal," I whispered. "I'll work on my arrogance, if you start wearing a patch tomorrow."

She jerked back and her eyes grew huge, almost as big as Bree's. "But…I thought…you said…no…sex…"

"No!" I yelled. "Not that kind of patch!"

Jesus Christ this girl was going to be the death of me. She tilted her head to the side and watched me, a small line of perplexity appearing between her eyes. I rolled my own eyes.

"A _nicotine_ patch," I explained through clenched teeth.

"Oh. OH!" Then she fell into a serious fit of giggles, throwing her head back and rocking backwards again. My eyes flashed down involuntarily, because yeah, I was a man and yup, there was the thong again. I suppressed a groan.

But just as suddenly as the giggling fit started, Isabella suddenly stilled and sat straight up again, putting a palm out in front of me.

"Hold up, _Edward_. You can't expect me to quit smoking this summer! I can already tell it's going to be chock full o'stress and I'm gonna _need_ my nicotine babies!"

I smirked and pulled back. "You don't need those, Isabella. Besides, no one will ever believe I'm dating someone who smokes."

She gave me one of her smart-alecky looks. "Let me guess. Because Doctor Tanner _never_ smoked."

"Not a day in her life."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of herself, under her breasts, unintentionally lifting them up. I kept my eyes on her face.

"Fine, fine," she muttered, "I was going to quit soon anyway."

"Good," I grinned.

"Yeah, yeah," she moaned, and then her mood seemed to do a total one-eighty. "Alright! Let's get to bed!"

"Uhm," I ran a hand through my hair and stood up, while she watched me with her Bambi eyes. "I'm going to take a bath, and then I'll just take the sofa for tonight. We'll figure out the rest tomorrow."

"Oh. Okay." She shrugged and crawled backwards on the bed, lifting the covers and climbing under.

"Goodnight, _Edward._" Her voice was purposely seductive, and her eyes…Jesus they were the most tempting bedroom eyes I'd ever seen in my life.

Yeah. Definitely the most interesting idea I'd had in my life.

"Good. That's good." I grinned, teasing her to distract myself. "Start practicing that voice and those looks. We're going to have to be very convincing over the next few months."

She laughed impishly. "Oh don't worry. If there's one thing I can be is convincing. This right here is going to be the most funnest summer of my life!"

I opened my mouth but at the last second decided not to point out to her that 'funnest wasn't actually a word. Instead I strolled into the bathroom, stripped off the scrubs that already smelled like her, stepped into the still-steaming bathtub, turned on the cold water _all the way _and tried not to think of Bambi eyes and the Phoenix Suns and impish grins and little black thongs.

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**A/N: God, men can be dense at times.**

**Thoughts?**

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**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**TWCS: Prose817**


	6. Chapter 6 Friends & Hand Games

**A/N: Longish chapter up ahead, and a couple of things.**

**Some of you have asked about how long this story is going to be. I expect it to be about 30 or so chapters, give or take. As many of you might know though, it'll probably be more give than take. :)**

**A couple of my lovely readers have prepared some beautiful banners for this story. Go to my profile page for the links. Thanks so much Elliania and Cared. You both rock!**

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**Thanks to my wing-woman and beta Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing this, and for spending so much time with me yesterday discussing the future of Uptightward and Quirkella.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

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**IP Ch. 6 – Friends & Hand Games**

**BPOV**

_To be honest, had I known exactly what I was getting myself into, I may have actually said 'no.' See, I pictured you and me playing this game, weaving our little tale and convincing the town-folk of Forks that we were madly in love while Doctor Tanner watched and seethed…and eventually came around. I didn't count on everything else that came into play - on feelings getting in the way, on families getting involved, on friendships being formed… _

_I didn't count on Jake._

OOOOOOOOOO

When I woke up the next morning, Doctor Cullen, I mean _Edward_, was already gone.

He'd left me a note on the kitchen table.

_Isabella, make yourself at home while I'm at the hospital. The fridge is fully stocked. Please make yourself a **healthy** breakfast. I should be done at the hospital by early evening. My parents are expecting me over for dinner tonight, so prepare yourself for our arrangement. _

There were a few lines of writing crossed out heavily with black ink so that I couldn't tell what they'd originally said, and then:

_If you'd like, please go back to the Native American jewelry store we were in yesterday and buy yourself the necklace you were admiring. I've left you some money for all your needs. Think of it as a spending account. ._

_Edward._

_P.S. – Smoking is strictly off limits in my apartment. Please stop in at the hospital at about five so we can take care of giving you the patch before we head to my parents'._

I set the note down and drew in a deep breath. He was a beautiful but bossy fucker, wasn't he? I looked back down at the table and sure enough, there was a bulging envelope, my name written across it in a script that seemed too neat for a doctor.

A spending account.

It'd seemed so simple last night, but now, in the quiet solitude of Edward's kitchen, holding the envelope full of twenties in my hand, something uncomfortable rolled around in my stomach.

What had I gotten myself into? Last night, in the light of the full moon, gazing into Doc- err, _Edward's_ desperate face, it had seemed like such an easy decision. Fifteen grand! Fifteen thousand smackaroos to pretend to be his girlfriend just to help him get his ex jealous enough to crawl back to him.

The thing was, once she crawled back to him, where would _I_ be?

Well I'd be anywhere I wanted to be with fifteen grand, I snorted to myself.

I could buy myself a ticket to anywhere in the world; to see Tuscany - to Michelangelo and "The David." I would _finally_ have something good and exciting to write in my journal; to write Jamie about. He'd be so proud of me for finally getting to Tuscany.

Or…_would_ he be proud?

I snorted again, gripping the hair on top of my head and trying to shake off an abrupt image of my brother, his own brown eyes flaming with anger and disapproval instead of alight with pride.

No. Jamie _would_ see the entrepreneurship in the deal I'd made, he would. Besides, I could pull this off so easily it would be almost highway robbery on my part. And anyway, what could possibly go wrong?

OOOOOOOOOO

After frying up a couple of eggs, some French toast and washing it all down with a tall glass of OJ and a little extra sugar for good measure, the healthy breakfast portion of the day was complete. Then it was time to get dressed. I rummaged through my backpack, pushing aside its contents – wallet, camera, journal, worn and battered copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (a classic) - to get to my extravagant wardrobe: a pair of skinny jeans, a pair of cut-off jean shorts, a long stretchy black skirt that came down to my ankles, three stretchy tank-tops, a pair of black flip-flops, high-top black Converse, a handful of bras and thongs, and my Phoenix Suns jersey and hoody - actually they were Jamie's, but he wasn't getting them back soon.

Being that I was meeting parents today, I went with the skirt. Now admittedly I was no expert on parents, but it seemed pretty obvious that not displaying the goods would be a given, so I layered on a couple of tanks to cover up the pretty tatas. Then I picked up the bulgy envelope and, ignoring the slight churn in my belly, flipped on my shades and headed off.

As had been the case for the past couple of weeks, the late spring heat was already close to unbearable, though it was barely mid-morning. The sun shone hot and high in the confused northwestern sky, blue met the eyes as far as one could see, rather than the grey clouds that were supposed to be the norm for this part of the country. I grinned and with money envelope in hand, made my way to the quaint little jewelry store where I'd bumped into Doctor Cullen yesterday.

Sam stood behind the counter again today when I walked in, talking to some tall and dark dude.

"Sammy my man!" I gave Sam a big wave and went straight to the other end of the store, where my necklace lay under the glass counters, and lay my palms flat over the counter. I flipped my shades over my head and smiled.

"Hello pretty necklace. I'm Bella Swan and I'll be buying you today. I promise to be a good owner and take care of you and wear you proudly and I promise to _try_ to remember to take you off before I take a shower and _not_ to ball you up and just throw you in my backpack when-"

"Are you _talking_ to that necklace?"

I turned around and looked into the face of the guy that had been standing with Sam. His black eyes twinkled impishly down at me, brown face set in a wide grin.

"I'm simply introducing myself and laying down them positive vibes. It's important if we're going to spend any considerable amount of time together, don't you think?"

He frowned, the grin still in place. "You mean you and the necklace?"

"Of course," I blinked.

His grin widened. He came to stand next to me, eyes flashing down to my necklace.

Uh oh. I scowled, sincerely hoping he wasn't planning on buying my necklace for himself, because we'd be having some serious problems if this son-of-a-blubbering-wart-riddled-whore thought that was going to be the case.

Another lesson Jamie taught me: I saw that shit first.

"My sister Rebecca actually made that."

"No kidding?" My shoulders relaxed. The irritation with the potential necklace bandit banished.

"Yup." He crossed his arms over a huge, toned chest. "She picked all the shells herself, and then strung everything together. Took her a full day to make that one."

"Well she did a beautiful job," I said admiringly, staring down at the necklace before looking over at him. "And you? Did you make any of these pretty pieces?"

He snorted, bringing his eyes up to me again. "No. I build fast cars and leave the pretty jewelry making to Rebecca, while Sam takes care of selling them to touristy pale-faces. Like you."

I flipped my shades back on and lifted my chin. "Well unlucky for you mister, though I readily admit to needing sun on my face, _I_ happen not to be a tourist. And fast cars do nothing for me."

His ebony eyes twinkled with humor. "Oh no?" he asked with an arched brow, turning around so that his back rested against the counter and leaning against it lazily, propped up on his elbows. "Then who are you, because you're not from around here."

"She's Bella, I mean _Isabellaaa,"_ Sam sang operatically from behind the counter.

I pointed a finger at Sam. "You got it, man!" We both laughed as the tall – and pretty darn cute by the way – guy looked on at us.

"She's Edward's friend, the one that I was telling you about."

"You know Edward too?" I asked. Boy this town really was a tiny thing.

The cute, tall dude didn't answer me. Instead, he kept staring at me with a bemused smile. Sam patted him on the shoulder. "This here's Jake Black. He and Edward actually go way back."

"Well Jake Black that goes way back," I grinned, putting my hand out to him, "I'm Bella Swan and…I've got no clever rhyme for that one." I laughed at my pitiful attempt to make 'Swan' and 'one' rhyme.

Jake shook my hand slowly. "So Bella Swan that has no rhyme for that one," he chuckled, "how do _you_ know Ed?"

Sam and I spoke at the same time.

"They're just friends."

"He's my boyfriend."

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

It was five-eighteen and there was still no sign of Isabella.

I sighed and continued assisting my dad with the plaster for little Matt Taylor's arm cast. I was doing most of the work as part of the 'see one, do one, teach one,' philosophy we new doctors followed, but my eyes kept drifting to the clock on the wall, and my mind to Isabella.

The truth was I wasn't sure if I was awaiting or dreading her arrival. In the light of day, everything had seemed so different this morning. What had I been thinking? I knew absolutely nothing about the girl - other than that she traveled the country with a worn-out backpack and seemed to worship her brother. A brother who would probably kick my ass if he knew the proposition I'd made his sister last night.

Still, for all I knew, Isabella'd emptied out my apartment already and high-tailed it – or hitchhiked it more likely – up to Canada by now.

Three light rasps on the door interrupted my reverie.

"Come in," my dad, Doctor Carlisle Cullen, called out and I glanced up.

Bree walked in, in her fitted skirt suit and pinned up hair, looking every bit the beautiful young doctor. I brought my eyes back down to little Matt's cast.

"Doctor Cullen I've finished up the patient profiles with Doctor Roberts."

I looked up at her again quickly. She offered me a small smile. I gave her a tentative smile back.

"Very good, Bree," my dad answered, keeping his eyes on the cast he was putting on. "Edward's here for another hour or so, and then we've got enough coverage for tonight. Why don't you go ahead and head on home for the day?"

Her eyes flashed to me again. "If you're sure you don't need me to stay longer."

"No," my dad said pleasantly. "I'd rather have you come in early. Say, four tomorrow?"

Bree nodded. "Sure Doctor Cullen. I'll just go let Mike know I'm ready to go then."

My hands froze for a fraction, but like a well-trained physician, I kept my eyes on the job.

"Very well, Bree. We'll see you in the morning," my dad said, his voice cool and professional.

"Good night Doctor Cullen. Good…night Edward," Bree said in her soft, quiet voice.

"Good night, Bree," I answered, trying to keep the anger and jealousy out of my voice.

Just then, Julia peeked in through the door. "Edward err- Doctor Cullen," she corrected herself. "Jake's here to see you."

The mention of Jake's name made my eyes automatically travel back up to Bree. There'd never been any love lost between my best friend and my one-time girlfriend. I could tell by the impassive look on Bree's face that not much had changed in that regard.

"Tell him I'll be out in a few," I asked Julia, bringing my attention back down to the cast.

"Okay," she agreed, and then moved her head in closer and whispered, "And he's here with that pretty but strange girl from yesterday? You know, the one with all the singing and humming?"

My head whipped up. "Isabella?"

My dad's eyes fell on me curiously. Bree - who'd been about to walk out – paused in her steps.

"Yes. That's the one."

"Oh…okay, please tell them _both_ I'll be right out."

"Sure, Edward," Julia agreed once more, and then walked out, followed by Bree.

I carefully finished wrapping little Matt's arm, and then my dad and I cleaned up the area. But my mind was racing.

What was Jake doing here with Isabella? How had they met? And more importantly, how much did he know?

My dad's eyes kept meeting mine, but he said nothing. The chief-of-staff was very professional. He'd blow a fuse if he ever found out what had happened in this very room yesterday. Thankfully, Bree had apparently been considerate enough to keep that to herself.

Once everything was taken care of, I walked out into the hallway while the chief-of-staff walked away in the opposite direction. Good thing; I wasn't ready to introduce Isabella to him just yet.

Isabella's laughter, which had become so familiar in the past 36 hours or so, reached me right away. She was over by the nurse's station. And then I heard Jake's voice.

"…and he's got blood friggin' gushing down his forehead and his dad's screaming at us that we're getting the hospital floors all dirty," Jake was going on, "so Ed grabs a hospital gown from one of the gurneys and starts wiping the floor but he's dripping as he goes along and his dad's about to pop a vessel, so Jules here starts trying to help us and slips on his blood-"

"He's lucky I didn't kick his skinny little ass," Julia smirked, recalling one of many incidents from me and Jake's early teen years and making Isabella hold her stomach from the force of her chortles. Her uncontrolled laughter turned her cheeks a rosy shade of pink while her wild hair flowed freely around her heart-shaped face. Yet even though she was laughing it up in a hospital, and even though it was _me_ she was laughing at, an unexplainable grin erupted on my face.

And as I stared at them, a petite figure stood out in my periphery.

Bree stood a few feet away, watching me as she filled out her end-of-shift paperwork. Before I could react in any way, Mike appeared behind her, leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek.

My fingers curled into fists. Suddenly I was walking over to the nurse's station, and before I knew it, I'd walked up behind Isabella, wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and leaned down to place a long, lingering kiss on her neck. She gasped loudly as the prickling heat coursed through both our bodies. All laughter stopped and abruptly, I could feel all eyes on us.

"Doc- _Edward_…darling," Bella finally breathed, turning her head to the side to look up at me.

"Isabella love, you're late," I murmured, keeping my eyes on her, but in my periphery, I could see how still and stiff Bree stood, her big eyes so huge it really was almost comical. I brought my mouth down to Isabella's ear. "Bree's watching."

Isabella turned in my arms and gave me a seemingly innocent look through long lashes before trailing her hands up my arms, bringing that _heat_ with her touch and making me shudder.

"I know," she grinned quietly. "I'm sorry I'm late, baby. Did you miss me?" she said, louder now, enough for anyone within earshot to hear.

"'Course I did," I smiled. "Where were you?"

"I took the money you left me and went to get that necklace we saw yesterday. By the way, thanks. Honey." She winked and squeezed my shoulders.

"It looks beautiful on you." It did, but it was a bit skewed, so I adjusted it on her creamy neck…

…Pretty necklaces and glaring ex-girlfriends and all else was all but forgotten once my fingers made contact with her collarbone. I inhaled sharply through narrowed lips, conscious of the eyes on me, while Isabella remained eerily silent for a few seconds.

Shit, how the hell were we supposed to function through this?

Isabella recovered first. "Oh! I met Jake at the store! He's my new buddy!"

I blinked, for the first time remembering that Jake was here and turned towards him. He was standing to the side, watching us with a bemused smile.

I broke away from Bella so that Jake and I could do our manly shoulder bump thing. I hadn't seen him yet since I'd been back. It'd be good to catch up.

"How's it going Jake?"

"Not bad. Your girl here's good company," - he grinned and turned to Isabella, chuckling - "but I gotta be honest, Ed. When Bella told me she was your girlfriend, I was a bit skeptical."

I heard his words, but as I watched the guy who'd been like a brother to me since we were kids, it wasn't his words that made something roll uneasily in my stomach. I'd known Jake almost my whole life and recognized the meaning between each and every one of his grins as easily as I recognized those of my own brothers.

This particular grin held a whole lot of appreciation in it.

I waited for his attention to come back to me and raised a brow. "Why would you be skeptical?"

Jake's eyes flashed almost imperceptibly to our right, where he'd apparently noticed Bree and Mike just a few short feet away. Jake had never liked Bree and had always had his own reservations about Mike. I'd always quietly figured it to be just male competitiveness. Guess I should've listened to him.

"Bella's just…different from what I would've expected from you. She's cool people - too cool for you," he chuckled, punching me in the arm.

But the appreciative grin was still in place, and even though Jake was my oldest friend, and though I _knew_ he was just teasing the way he always teased, yeah, I bristled.

"We're in a hospital, Jake," I spoke lowly. "Keep the hand games to a minimum."

"What are you talking about?" he snickered. "We've always goofed around in here."

"That was when we were kids."

Jake continued grinning. "See Bells? I told you. He couldn't have changed _that_ much."

I grabbed Isabella's hand and pulled her to my side, feeling her _heat_ up against my ribs, feeling it color my face.

"Her name is _Isabella_, not Bells, and what exactly does that mean?" I asked with my own grin, not quite sure why my buddy Jake was suddenly irritating the fuck out of me.

Isabella looked up at me and fluttered her long lashes again. "Jake's just teasing you, baby."

And then she put her thumb and forefinger together and flicked my cheek.

"What are you doing?" I frowned.

She flicked me again.

"What are you _doing_?"

She flicked me again.

And again.

She flicked my face, my arms, my stomach, my shoulders - everywhere. Then she laughed and did it all over again. I tried to catch her hands but she moved them quickly from one flick to the next. Then she started using both hands. I grabbed her wrists and finally managed to lock them between my hands. She gasped at my touch but then laughed hysterically as I brought her hands down to her sides – all the while our little audience watched on.

Isabella was seriously deranged.

She finally calmed down a bit and leaned her chest against mine, sighing and _burning_ me again.

"See?" she said, her brown eyes locked on mine. "I told you he was playful, Jake. Maybe he just doesn't want to play with _you, _but he plays with _me_ constantly."

I heard Jake snort.

"Why you should've seen us in Lucca, chasing each other around that piazza. And then when he caught me in his arms he had this huge bunch of roses he'd snatched from one of the street vendors and he gave them to me and threw me over his shoulder like a caveman and carried me all the way back to our hotel room. And you can imagine what kind of games we played there," she chuckled heartily.

"I'd rather not," Jake snickered.

"What are you doing?" I whispered quietly once my speech returned.

With her eyes still on me, she moved in slowly, bringing her lips right up against my ear, grazing my earlobe. "Showing our audience how playful and un-rigid you can be," she whispered. And then she placed a soft, moist kiss right under my ear. Jesus the heat was…unfathomable for simply a soft kiss. "Isn't that part of the plan?" she questioned.

I closed my eyes for two seconds. "But Isabella, we're in a _hospital._"

She grinned widely and my heart jumped because in the past thirty-six hours I'd started learning Isabella's grins too - and this one meant trouble.

"_So what_?" she stressed slowly, and in a flash leaned in and caught my chin between her teeth. I gasped and my heart skipped a beat because her throaty laugh while my chin was stuck between her teeth reverberated down to my groin.

And that's when out of my periphery, I caught Bree walking away, followed by Mike.

"I'm no expert, Edward," Isabella whispered, finally letting go. Her dark eyes sparkled with liveliness, "but I would think that when you love, you love _everywhere_ and _anywhere_."

OOOOOOOOOO

"This is so cool. Explain to me the science behind this here contraption again," Isabella demanded excitedly, examining the patch on her arm for about the umpteenth time.

I sighed and glanced over at her quickly across the car. "Once again, it releases nicotine at low levels and intervals, weaning you off."

"How long will I have to wear this?" she asked. Her finger circled around the patch.

"About eight weeks or so."

"Can I draw on it with markers and stuff and turn it into a badass tattoo?"

I stared at her for about two seconds before turning back to the road. "You mean you don't already have one of those? I'm surprised." I got a sudden image of a tattoo on her thigh…

She chuckled. "No, I don't have one of those," she mimicked my dry tone. "Jamie would kill me if he ever found out I'd gotten a tramp stamp, as he calls them," she chuckled.

I kept my eyes on the road. "Well Jamie and I appear to agree on that much, at least."

"Let me guess," she said with a wry grin, "Bree doesn't have any tattoos."

"Of course not."

"Of course not," she repeated. I could see her eye roll out of my periphery and I chuckled.

"I'm surprised such a protective brother doesn't have a problem with you backpacking it across the country or mixing it up with guys who teach you to smoke," I said to change the subject.

She shrugged, but didn't answer. I shifted slightly and rested my right arm over the back of my seat - so I could see her better. She looked like a gypsy this evening, with that long skirt and tank top – and the shelled and feathered necklace to boot. Her long hair had been down when she'd met me earlier, but she'd just braided it over her shoulder. She looked so carefree and pretty.

"So you and Jake seem to have hit it off," I said, unsure where that sentence came from.

"Oh my god Jake is _so_ cool," she blurted. "I'm going to go to down to his garage, and he's going to teach me how to hot-wire a car and how to deejay. I can't believe you two are best friends."

I raised my brows, my eyes flashing between her and the road, the familiar irritation she brought out in me once again alive and kicking. "What the hell does that mean?"

She giggled but at least had the decency to blush.

I smirked. "Jake and I grew up together. We were like brothers when we were younger. Used to get into all sorts of trouble together," I chuckled. "But then Bree and I started dating and…"

"And?" Isabella prompted with her never-ending curiosity.

I flashed her a smirk. "Didn't he tell you?"

"No. Believe it or not, we didn't spend all afternoon discussing Bree."

I sneered. "Let's just say Bree and Jake were never each other's cheerleaders. She thought he was too immature, and he thought she was a stuck up bi-"

I cut myself off. When I glanced over at Isabella again, she was grinning knowingly.

"A stuck up _biiiiscuit_?" she prompted.

I pursed my lips and she laughed.

"Just try to remember in between all of your activities with your fun buddy Jake that you're supposed to be pretending to be _my_ girlfriend here," I said, changing the subject again.

"Relax, Edward," she chuckled. "I would _never_ forget that!"

I pursed my lips and kept my eyes on the road - irritated. She disconcerted me. She really did. I'd never felt so moody in all my life since I'd met this girl.

I could feel her eyes on me.

"Aww, did I hurt your feelings, Edward?" she asked in a playful tone.

I didn't answer her.

"Come on," she snorted, shoving up against me, "you know you're fun too." I still didn't answer. "You're my fun boy. _Fun boy, fun boooy!_"

And there went the operatic aria again.

"_Fun, fun boy. Come out to plaaaayy!_"

"Alright, alright! Enough with the opera!" I groaned.

She laughed. "_Jake_ likes my opera."

I leveled her with a steady glare. "Yes, I'm sure _Jake_ just _loves_ your _opera_."

She apparently found this hilarious, based on the way she broke out into fits.

"Well, since you're apparently going to be busy learning new trades with Jake, please make sure you give me your cell number so I can keep track of you."

"I don't have a cell phone."

"What?"

"I don't have a cell phone."

"You do realize this is the year 2012."

"Yes, Father Time. I'm well aware of the year."

"How the hell do you keep in touch with people?"

"Have you ever heard of payphones? _I'm at a payphone, trying to call home, all of my change I've spent on you,"_ she started singing.

I groaned. "Christ, do you have a song for every moment that transpires?"

"I don't know. Say something and let's see if I can come up with a song for it," she grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not playing this game with you."

"Come on. Hit me up!"

"No."

"Oh come on!"

"We're going to have to get you a cell phone."

"Ooh, Edward, can I have my own Siri? I've always wanted a personal assistant."

I smirked.

She flipped my bottom lip with her finger. "Every time you smirk at me I'm going to flip your lip." Then she started poking my sides and ribs and shit who would've known I was ticklish?

"Jesus, Isabella I'm driving!" I growled, trying really fucking hard to keep a straight face and a straight car and failing at both while I moved away from her insistent pokes.

She laughed and poked away. "Boy, is the rest of your family this uptight?"

"No, they're not!" I snapped. "Anyway, I'm adopted so don't be looking for too many resemblances between me and the rest of my family."

The poking ceased immediately. She sat back heavily in her seat. "What?"

"I'm adopted," I repeated. "It's no big deal. My birth parents died in a plane crash when I was three. Their best friends, Esme and Carlisle, were my godparents and they adopted me."

Silence. When I snuck a peak at Isabella, she was watching me solemnly, wide-eyed.

"You okay?" I chuckled lightly, because solemn looked strange on her.

She didn't answer right away. "I…I'm just…a bit surprised."

"Hey," I smiled easily, "the only reason I even mentioned it was so you wouldn't be too confused when you meet a house full of blond and blue-eyed people and wonder where my hair and eyes come from. Well, except for Emmett's dark hair," I mused.

"Emmett is…"

"My older brother. He's married to Rosalie, the woman from the restaurant yesterday. They've got a six-month old boy, Brady."

"Is…Emmett adopted too?"

"No. He's my parents' birth son. So is Jasper, my younger brother. He goes to school in Pennsylvania, but he's home for the summer. His girlfriend Alice is like a little sister to us – always hanging around."

Out of my periphery, I could see her nodding slowly. When I snuck another peak at her, she looked paler than usual though.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Finally, she grinned again, and for some reason, it relieved me.

"Yeah. Families just make me…nervous."

OOOOOOOOOO

If my younger brother Jasper hadn't been only twenty and already madly in love with his girlfriend Alice, I do believe he would've tried to put the moves on Isabella.

"Isabella, would you like another drink?" He rushed past us into the kitchen.

"Isabella, let me get that chair for you." He pushed me out of the way to pull the chair out.

"Isabella, let me show you the pool area." He grabbed her arm and led her to the back yard, while the rest of us followed in tow, Alice included.

But Alice knew Jasper was crazy about her - had been since junior year of high school. She merely chuckled at his obvious 'older woman' crush.

"Two thumbs up, bro." Emmett patted me on the back while Jazz led Isabella to the back yard ahead of all of us. "Rosie told me this one was different. She seems…real down-to-earth."

"Yeah, well," I answered vaguely.

Emmett furrowed his brows, but didn't question me.

Along with the rest of my family, Emmett was well aware of how difficult the past few months had been for me. And along with Jake and my family, he'd had a hard time getting past what Bree and Mike had done, even if it had been after she and I had broken up.

Isabella was surprisingly subdued throughout the night. I'd braced myself for inappropriate comments, overly detailed descriptions on 'how we'd met' in Italy, shock from my parent's. But it'd been for nothing. She left me to fill in the pretend blanks and remained eerily silent, though smiling sweetly, throughout the whole exchange. I wasn't sure whether to be grateful or disconcerted by her behavior.

I had to admit though, that my parents took the news that I'd apparently brought a girl back with me from Italy a lot more calmly than I'd expected. Especially my mom.

"So Isabella, where are you from?" my mom asked pleasantly as we sat around the living room.

I sat next to Isabella, holding her hand in mine while she looked around nervously. It startled me really – she hadn't struck me as the type to be intimidated. I mean, yeah, the house was pretty big and…rich by most standards, but my mom had never been the flashy type. She'd always made a comfortable home for the men in her family. Growing up, our friends had always been more than welcome to hang out, for dinner, and for parties by the in-ground pool. Esme had never been one to turn her nose up at anyone. Money, position, degrees, none of that mattered to her, and while she'd always been proud of our accomplishments - Emmett with his restaurant, my pursuit of a medical degree and Jasper's interest in business school - she'd always stressed that what mattered was what a person was like on the inside.

I kept Isabella's hand in mine calmly, trying to impart to her that she could relax with my family.

Isabella swallowed and answered without meeting my mom's eyes. "From Phoenix, Mrs. Cullen."

"Is your family still there?" Esme asked with a smile. I could see she was trying to catch Isabella's eyes, but Isabella kept them trained on some point past Esme.

"Yes."

"And how do you like Forks?" Esme tried again.

"It's very nice," Isabella answered quietly.

"And how long do you think you'll be visiting with us here in the Northwest?" She looked from me to Isabella curiously, with no hostility or suspicion.

I cleared my throat.

I'd realized something this morning, and it had become even clearer to me when Isabella had shown up at the hospital this afternoon. Though I loved Bree, I couldn't help being attracted to Isabella. Yes, we'd worked out an agreement that would hopefully get us both what we wanted, but there was a line there, a promise that we'd never take the agreement too far. I _had_ to make sure I'd never cross it.

"Actually, mom, dad," I began, "I wanted to ask you both a favor."

"Sure, honey," my mom replied.

I swallowed thickly. Once again, I was going to take Isabella by surprise. She'd been so quiet all night, I just hoped she wouldn't totally lose it on me now.

"We haven't actually figured out how long Isabella will be here, but I was wondering if it'd be okay if she stayed here with you guys, in my old bedroom."

Silence.

Isabella whipped her head towards me, eyes burning.

Oh. Fuck.

* * *

**A/N: It makes me so happy to see that so many of you have put IP on Story and or Favorites Alerts. Now how about leaving me a review and letting me know what you're thinking? They make me so happy and make me want to write! :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**TWCS: Prose817**


	7. Chapter 7 Going & Coming

**A/N: Aww, I really loved hearing from all you guys last chapter. I want you all to know that I read and enjoyed every single review. I got back to as many as possible, but RL has gotten so crazy lately I don't even know how I get these chapters out. Please know that I read and appreciate every single review I get, so keep'em coming. :)**

**Ange_de_Laube has created a beautiful banner and BLINKIE for IP. Go to my profile for the link. Thanks again Ange.**

**A lot of you had a big problem with Edward having Bella stay with his parents instead of his place. She is temptation incarnate to him, so think about it guys. Why wouldn't he want Bella staying with him? Now whether it's smart of him or not is a totally different question.**

**Michelle Renker Rhodes is my beta chickie and helps me keep the story straight. Love her.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter 7 Going and Coming**

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**BPoV**

"_Words can't hurt you, Bella," Jamie told me once when we were little. A couple of neighborhood boys had been chasing and teasing me, and I'd thrown myself on the floor, crying. Jamie found me, picked me up and taught me the lesson about sticks and stones._

_And then to illustrate the point he beat the shit out of the boys with his hockey stick._

_But as the years have passed, I've come to the conclusion that, while I'm sure my big brother meant well, he was wrong. Not so much for beating the ever-living shit out of those boys - they totally deserved that, trust me. But because words can lead to actions, and what is it that they say about actions? _

_Actions speak louder than words. _

_I never meant for our actions to hurt anyone. Especially not you…or me… But what were we thinking? _

_Seriously, what the hell were we thinking?_

OOOOOOOOOO

I sent Edward's little brother Jasper and his girlfriend Alice back to the house for a tall glass of sparkling water with a twist of lime and exactly four ice-cubes and a ham and Swiss cheese Panini sandwich with pesto mayo, cut into four equal triangle pieces.

And then I disappeared into the woods behind the immaculately landscaped back yard, complete with in-ground pool, cabana, built-in barbeque and Tiki hut bar.

As I pulled a cigarette out of my backpack and lit it, I pondered my options.

Find my way to the main road and run the fuck away – hightail it out of here with the first willing stranger that gave me a ride.

Or stay and continue this charade while living under the roof of what was seemingly the most perfect, financially and physically blessed family this side of the Pacific. The Richie Richs meet the freakin' Waltons of the Northwest.

I took a long, soothing drag from my ciggy, stopping quickly to stamp out ashes - because God forbid I burn down the forest - and kept on walking through the tall trees that almost hid the full moon in the sky from view. My flip-flops clack-clacked loudly, sticking in the mud and slapping against my feet. I only stopped when I came to a flowing, sparkling river, reflecting the moon's light.

Damn it, I'd made a promise to Edward. I'd agreed to his goofy proposal to play his girlfriend for the summer. I imagined how disappointed he'd be once he realized I'd left and he'd have to find some other way to make Bree crawl back to him. I could picture the pained look in his beautiful eyes, the lines of anxiety on his perfect forehead. But shit, our agreement had never included parents!

I didn't do parents.

And he hadn't _warned_ me. I mean, I was no expert but that right there _had_ to constitute some sort of breach of contract, didn't it? I'd be well within my legal rights to call for penalties – at least partial restitution. Say, five thousand? Two? Greyhound money?

As I puffed on my cigarette and stared out at the river, something cracked and crackled just behind me. I gasped and whipped around and caught Edward emerging from the line of trees a few feet away.

His rigid shoulders sagged and he breathed out heavily in obvious relief.

"Thank God! Where the hell were you?" he demanded. "I've been searching for you for the past ten minutes!"

"Well, I'm standing right here. So obviously this is where I was." I rolled my eyes and looked away from him, taking another long drag.

_Yeah, I can be anal too, mister._

The next thing I knew my sweet, sweet ciggy was being snatched out of my hand.

"Hey! Give that back you dirty-rotten-overbearing-beautiful-yet-anal-DICKHEAD!"

He held my ciggy up over his head, way too high for me to reach. But I jumped and jumped anyway, trying to get to it.

"Nice language, Isabella. And no, I won't give it back. I thought we agreed no smoking."

I stopped jumping and crossed my arms across my chest.

"And _I_ thought we agreed I'd be staying with you!"

"No," he corrected carefully, still holding _my_ cigarette up high. "We never agreed on where you'd be staying. It took Bree and I two _years_ to move in together. She would _never_ believe I'd moved you in so quickly!"

"I don't give a rat's ass what she believes! _I_ don't do parents!" I exclaimed with a firm glare and an angry huff.

"What is your problem with my parents?"

"They're parents!" I said, fisting my hair in my hands. "And your mother," I growled, pointing at him accusingly and narrowing my eyes, "she _hovers_."

"She does not!"

"Yes, she does! She's a hoverer! A _flaming_ hoverer! 'Edward darling, would you like some more water?'" I mimicked her, "'Edward darling, don't forget to take down the number to the housecleaner for your apartment.' 'Edward darling are you still taking your allergy medication?' She's a hoverer!" I yelled.

"Just because your mom has no reservations about letting her twenty-two year old daughter traipse around the planet with nothing but a shitty backpack to her name!"

"You better take that back!" I hissed threateningly and jabbed his stomach with my forefinger – an action I regretted immediately when I hit rock-solid muscle.

"Ow!" I pulled my finger back and wrapped my other hand around it. "Stupid abs-of-steel-possessing-uptight-old-fashioned-ass," I muttered. He had the nerve to chuckle - the man that _never_ chuckled.

"Jamie gave me that backpack," I hissed, "and it is NOT shitty!"

He smirked. "Fine, it's not shitty. I apologize. But again, Isabella, what is your problem?"

"My problem, _Edward_, is that I don't know anything about _them_!" I waved in the direction of the huge house.

"You don't know anything about _me_!" he chuckled again. "For all you know I might be some pervert and try to have my way with you in the middle of the night!"

"Hey, perverts I know. Perverts I can handle. Besides, you didn't try anything last night!"

Not that I was like, disappointed or anything.

"Maybe I was just lulling you into a false sense of peace."

My eyes flashed up to my poor ciggy, which had withered away into a stump in his hand. He followed the trajectory of my eyes and seeing the poor stump, smirked and flicked it into the river, never to be seen or heard from again.

"If that were the case why would you be telling me that now? Look, it's nothing personal against your parents; I just…haven't even lived with my own in the longest."

He frowned. "Isabella, trust me, please. It's just…better if you don't stay with me. My parents won't bother you, I promise. My dad works most of the day at the hospital, my mom runs a cyber-based design business, and Jasper spends most of his time with Alice anyway, and Rose and Emmett and the baby live a mile down the road. You'll barely see any of them. You'll stay in my old room and you'll have the pool to hang around in during the day and then you can come meet me at the hospital during breaks and in the early evenings, and we can keep up our charade."

I scowled.

"It'll be fine," he smiled soothingly, and then took another step and wrapped his hands around my face and holy heaven there went those burning sparks. He hissed, and I sighed unevenly, closing my eyes. When I opened them back up his rich green eyes glowed in the darkness.

"That is some crazy shit," he chuckled lowly.

"Yeah," I grinned helplessly, "it really is."

I gnawed on the inside of my lip, while we stood there, holding each other's gaze.

"Oh fine!" I conceded with a huff and took a step back, breaking our freaky connection. He dropped his hands to his sides and exhaled through narrowed lips before grinning his crooked grin, and his eyes sparkled, and I mean really, how could I say no to that?

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward was a big fat liar.

Yeah, sure, his dad was gone the next morning before I'd woken up. But when I snuck into the kitchen to hunt for some grub, I was met up by his mother.

"Good morning, Bella," she exclaimed pleasantly before I could make my escape. She had a pot of coffee in one hand and two mugs in the other. "I was just about to come get you to see if you'd like to sit out on the deck with me for a bit before we start our day."

I smiled weakly and followed her out to the deck.

The sky was confused again today, promising another hot, sunny morning. I sat straight and rigid on a cast-iron patio chair and waited quietly while Mrs. Cullen poured me a cup of coffee. There were pretty little pastries set out on a tray in the middle of the table, and napkins and some milk and sugar. I stared at the perfectly manicured lawn that stretched out before us and the beautiful pool and cabana while I sipped nervously on my black coffee, which I usually took with about four teaspoons of sugar and half a cup of milk, but I figured I'd forego all that right now. We made small talk about the warm weather, the benefits of an in-ground pool versus above-ground, the price of corn, and the deficit.

"My son Emmett brought the pastries over this morning," Esme said conversationally. "He was…anxious to say hi to you. We're all anxious actually to get to know you better. It's obvious that you're important to Edward."

I smiled sardonically. Yeah - important in so far as his quest to get Bree back.

"He's important to me too, Mrs. Cullen," I said sweetly and straight-faced.

There. That was something a mom would want to hear, right? I'd always been such a good liar, too. Strange thing though, even though I'd only known the dude for about half a minute, I didn't feel like I was lying per se. I mean he _was_ important to me, wasn't he? His fifteen grand were going to get me to Tuscany! Important dude indeed.

But the way Mrs. Cullen watched me thoughtfully made me nervous. Like she could see right through me…

"I'm not lying," I blurted, and then bit down on my lip – hard. Way to go, Bella.

This is why I didn't do parents.

"No, I didn't think you were honey," Mrs. Cullen surprised me, leaning forward in her seat. "I'm not sure…how much Edward's told you about his previous…"

"About Bree?" I blurted again. "Oh I know all about her!" I grinned, waving a hand dismissively. "He told me _everything_."

Mrs. Cullen raised a pretty eyebrow. "Did he? I'm glad to hear that." She took an elegant sip of her coffee. "We've known Bree since she was a little girl, but I was never sure…" she drifted off, looking past me for a few seconds before bringing her baby blues back my way. "You must know then that Edward had a bit of a…difficult time..."

"Yeah, but he's all over that now," I grinned. "He's got me!"

She smiled, furrowing her brows curiously, but though parents tended to make me antsy, there was something genuine about her smile. It kind of made my heart hurt.

"I can see how you would definitely be someone that would get him over all that," she said quietly.

I looked down at my lap then. My face burned, and I felt guilty and sad all at once.

Yeah, I didn't like parents.

"I see the way he looks at you, Isabella," she said carefully, "and I get the feeling you don't see it. I don't even think he really does," she chuckled quietly. "Isabella, I'm not going to ask what's going on. My son is a grown man and it's not my place to interfere."

_Sure it's not, Hoverer_, I felt like rolling my eyes.

"All I'm going to ask," she continued in that quiet, annoyingly soothing voice, "is that you please give each other a chance. Because if something goes wrong," she sighed, "Isabella, I'm going to be frank with you. My son's been very…upset for the past few months."

"I…can imagine," I said unsurely, because I really had no idea what else to say.

"But upset doesn't equal a broken heart."

I frowned and stared at her, forcing myself to hold her gaze no matter how uncomfortable Edward's adoptive mother made me. "Nothing's going to happen, Mrs. Cullen," I assured her. "Your son and I will be fine."

Her bright blue eyes didn't waver. "Alright, Isabella," she finally said. "And please, call me Esme."

"Esme then and you can call me Bella. Everyone besides your son does."

This made her chuckle.

And then I proceeded to put six dainty pastries on my pretty porcelain plate and devour them all.

And for a long, long time, I completely forgot about Esme's words.

OOOOOOOOOO

Apparently Esme wasn't the only one anxious to get to know me that day.

I was sunning myself by the pool over one of the deck loungers - not an easy thing to do in skinny jeans mind you, but I hadn't had time to hunt out a Laundromat in the past couple of days and it was the only clean bottom I had left - when a splash broke my reverie. I looked up and caught someone swimming from the opposite end of the pool to the one closest to me. When she emerged, it was Jasper's tiny little thing of a girlfriend.

She came to the edge of the pool and looked up at me, grinning.

"Hey Isabella! Jasper sleeps late and I wanted to get some sun in."

"Hey…tiny…pretty…thing," I greeted her, because hell if I remembered her name. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra swimsuit around or anything?"

She giggled. "Sure do. And it's Alice, by the way."

"Alice by the way," I repeated with a grin, giving her a thumbs up. She hopped like a little bunny out of the pool, went into a pink frilly bag on the lounger next to me – which I hadn't even noticed her set down – and pulled out two tiny red pieces.

"So have you met Bree yet?" she asked a few minutes later, as we sunned ourselves on our loungers.

What the hell was it with everyone wanting to discuss Bree today? I flipped my shades over my head and smirked.

"Yeah, I've met her."

"And?" she questioned curiously, bouncing in her seat in her tiny little black two-piece that went with her tiny little body.

"And," I shrugged.

She grinned. "Yup, that's what I always thought too," she agreed, as if my shrug had been exactly the answer she'd been waiting for. She lay back against her lounger again and closed her eyes, raising her face to the sun. "Jazz and I were ten when they started dating. Even then we never could figure out what the big deal was. She was always so prim and proper," she said, putting her hands up daintily. "Ugh!"

"Some would say there's nothing wrong with a little _primness and propriety_." I said the last three words in my best Kate Middleton imitation. "Hoverer- err, _Esme_, seems pretty prim and proper."

Alice giggled. "There's prim and proper," – she mimicked my previous accent and stuck her tiny little nose up in the air – "and then there's _prim and proper_," she scowled. "God, Bree was boring!"

I shrugged. Other than the fact that she'd broken Edward's heart or _upset_ him or whatever the heck - and honestly yeah, she did sound rather bland, I didn't know enough to give my opinion.

'Never judge a book by its cover unless that cover is so fucking ugly you can't even stand to look at it' – another lesson Jamie taught me.

Two hours later, we were doing belly flops off the diving board and twenty-year old Alice was my new homey.

Jasper appeared then, walking out of the house in blue board shorts and scratching his well-toned tummy while his blond hair stuck up in a handful of directions, apparently just waking. He had his mother's blue eyes, yet strangely enough they crinkled like his adoptive brother's when he grinned widely.

"Now what good deed did I do to wake up to two beautiful ladies this fine morning?"

Alice giggled and ran over to her man, wrapping her tiny two-pieced body around him. "Jasper Cullen, you need to stop flirting with your brother's girlfriend or he's going to kick your ass," she scolded him, chuckling.

And then they made out all hot and heavy-like.

"I'm just glad to see that my big bro seems to have finally gotten his head out of his ass." Jasper said when he came up for air. They both grinned my way.

"See?" Alice said. "It's not just me."

"What?" Jasper asked.

"Bella refuses to speak badly about Bree."

"Why?" Jasper asked, perplexed.

"I'm withholding my judgment until I have more to base it on," I said from the ledge of the pool.

"Fair _and_ beautiful," Jasper nodded. "I'm impressed."

"Why thank you, kind sir."

"But yeah, Bree was a bitch."

"She really was, honey," Alice nodded at me in agreement.

Hmm.

A few minutes later I was counting to twenty because I was Marco and Alice and Jazz were Polo and these here kids were chock full o'fun.

"Who started the party without us?" a loud voice bellowed when I was up to fifteen. I opened my eyes and turned to see Emmett, Edward's older brother, holding a little guy while his wife Rosalie stood next to him, looking uber-celebrity-like in a gold two-piece and sheer gold cover-up. Apparently they were putting something in the water in this here town.

Emmett did a Tarzan yell and dove headfirst into the pool, emerging right under Alice and me and splashing us with his wet hair. Alice screamed, and I laughed.

"Idiot," Rosalie muttered, but she was smiling and she and her little tike came to sit by the ledge of the pool.

"Bella, this is Brady," Rosalie introduced us. I smiled warily and approached with caution. The little tike had been asleep in his carriage when Edward and I arrived last night, and he'd still been sleeping by the time Rosalie and Emmett left. A fact that was fine by me as I had little to zero experience with anyone not potty-trained.

"Uhm…hi?" I said unsurely to the little dude, waving carefully. He had a round, bald head, and blue-eyes like the rest of his clan, and he drooled and mumbled something unintelligible, staring at me through big, wide eyes.

"You want to hold him for me for a couple of minutes while I do a couple of laps?"

I looked behind me to see who Rosalie was talking to. There was no one there.

"Uhm…not really? Nothing personal against your little dude, I just know nothing about humans under two feet tall."

She laughed. "Well, at least you're honest. I like that. But don't worry, he won't bite."

I smirked dubiously. "You sure? Because I've heard it's something they do tend to do."

She laughed again. "Just for a few minutes," she said, and shoved him into my arms.

I held him up and away from me while he squirmed in my hands, mumbling and drooling while his mother jumped into the water and swam away.

Shit.

OOOOOOOOOO

EPoV

I'd called the house three times so far - three goddamned times. Where the hell was everyone and who the hell didn't have a cell phone in this day and age, and what in the world was so difficult about remembering to come to the hospital between 12:30 and 1:00 pm? I'd told Isabella I'd try to get a break in then and we could have lunch in the quad over the grass, where Bree and Mike had had lunch the past couple of days. It would be perfect for our purposes.

But no, here I was, sitting by my lonely self on a lonely bench eating a lonely apple at 1:27 pm because I couldn't get in touch with the girl I was paying fifteen grand to play my girlfriend. Meanwhile Mike and Bree were laughing it up and sharing salads and fucking drinks and looks and shit just a few short feet away. I scowled and turned away.

A few minutes later, while I ordered an iPhone on my cell, I felt a light hand on my shoulder. When I turned I was met by Bree's big, anxious eyes.

"Hey, Edward."

I closed my cell phone and stood up quickly. "Oh, hey Bree. How are you?"

"I'm good," she smiled. "And you?"

"Good, good. Busy. I was lucky to get this break in."

"Yes, I know," she grinned tiredly, "Mike and I have been fortunate that we've been able to get a break at the same time the past few days."

"Yes," I said, trying to keep my voice even, "that's fortunate indeed."

"Edward, I want you to know I'm not trying to hurt you. I know Mike spoke to you, and I know despite what you said it _is…_awkward. But it's the reality of the situation and-"

"I understand the reality of the situation perfectly, Bree. You don't need to shove it down my throat."

She sighed - a long, tired sigh. "Speaking of shoving things down one's throat how's your girlfriend?"

"She's perfectly well, thank you. I'm expecting her any moment."

Bree lifted one of her dainty eyebrows. "Forgive me for saying this, but…she just…doesn't seem your type, Edward."

I snorted. "Seriously, Bree? You _were_ there a few of the times Mike would tell us all about the kinky shit he did with his girlfriends, weren't you? Talk about not one's type."

She had the decency to blush. "That's really none of your business."

"You're right, it's not. Just like Isabella and I are none of yours, yet you're the one who brought it up."

"Because you and I were together for a long time and despite everything Edward, I still care for you. I mean, about you. And she's so…different."

"Different from you, you mean. I'm too boring and rigid for a girl like her to take interest in me, right?"

She sighed again. "That was harsh when I said that, Edward, I know. But it had become all work and school and studying with you."

"It wasn't always like that. _I_ wasn't always like that."

"So it's my fault then? Don't blame me for who you became, Edward."

"I'm not blaming you for-"

The sound of little heels rang out behind me. "Edward, sweetie, I'm here!" someone breathed against my back, and then I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around my waist and the searing heat her touch constantly brought. My shoulders relaxed and a slow smile spread across my face - perfect timing. Bree's eyes moved behind me and grew impossibly wider, and I turned around in Isabella's arms…

…She was standing there in a huge movie-star grade sunhat and dark shades and ruby red lips and a black sleeveless cover-up that didn't cover much up and showed off her sun-kissed shoulders and barely fell below her upper thighs which led to a pair of black kitten heels.

Fuck me.

Isabella smiled up at me sweetly – her perfectly white teeth stood out beautifully between her red lips.

Holy. Shit.

"Isabella, baby," – I cleared my squeaky throat – "what are you wearing?"

She looked down at herself and shrugged, grinning. "We spent all morning in the pool and then I didn't have time to change before Emmett and Rose dropped me off here." She swung from side to side. "Rose said I'd gotten enough sun on my face for the day so she told me to wear this hat, and Alice said my Converse didn't match the cover-up so she lent me these shoes and…yeah," she chuckled, twirling to give Bree and me a 3D view of her entire ensemble, "here I am! So do you like?" she blinked.

And though we were just supposed to be pretending, I couldn't help the appreciative yet shocked way my eyes roamed up and down her body.

"It's…" I flashed my eyes to Bree and swallowed - hard. "Isabella, you remember Bree, don't you?"

Isabella waved happily at Bree, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. "Of course I do! How are you, Bree?"

"I'm…well, Isabella, thank you," Bree said quietly. Her eyes flashed quickly to Isabella's outfit before coming back up.

"Great!" Isabella exclaimed. "Would you like to join Edward and me for some lunch? I made some delicious PBB&B sandwiches and fried up some Oreos and Emmett gave me some of those yummy pastries he makes to bring over."

"PBB&B?" Bree asked. She looked extremely confused and uncomfortable.

"Peanut butter, bananas and bacon."

Bree simply stared at her.

"It's as delicious as it sounds," Isabella whispered as if she were letting her in on a little secret. "So do you want to join us? There's enough for everybody."

Bree looked down quickly at her watch. "Actually, as delicious as it does sound, I'm afraid my break is over."

"Oh. Okay. Well maybe next time," Isabella grinned.

And this time, when Bree looked at her, she wasn't able to hide the flash of obvious envy. Her lips tightened into a straight line and she glared momentarily, the way she had in the exam room a couple of days ago. Strangely, instead of feeling smug, I pulled Isabella into my side. She slid her arm easily around my waist. It felt…so warm.

"It was good talking to you, Bree," I said.

"You too, Edward. Take care." The way she looked at me, like there was more she wanted to say…

"Bye, Bree," Isabella waved.

"Goodbye, Isabella."

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**A/N: Hmm. The game's getting interesting.**

**I so love hearing from you guys. Your reviews encourage me to write! **

**Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**TWCS: Prose817**


	8. Chapter 8 Gifts & Cliffs

**A/N: I am so enjoying hearing from you guys on this story! I try to get back to as many reviews as possible, but the days just don't have enough hours! I read'em all though, and they make me laugh and think and want to write! And I want to thank all of you that voted for IP over at The Lemonade Stand. We actually made it! IP is being featured as one of the Fics of the Week and Kitty Vuitton has written a lovely rec for it over on the site if you want to go give it a read! **

**I realize Edward's frustrating right now and many of you just want to slap him upside his head until he realizes his love for Bella, but he was in a very long-term relationship with Bree, and he's a bit blinded by his anger and wounded pride at the moment. Is that a good thing? No, of course not. A lot of you are also wary that Bella's getting so close to his family now, which'll make it harder when it's time for her to leave. Well, this story is called Indecent Proposal for a reason. Think of what he's asked her to do, because I don't think either of them have really, really thought through ALL the implications. Remember, this story will take place over one summer, and while summers don't last very long, they can be life-changing…**

**...and they're a great time to try out some PBB&B sandwiches!**

**Thanks to my lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes, for beta-ing this huge chapter!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter 8 - Gifts & Cliffs**

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**BPoV**

_Do you know when I realized that everything might not be as simple as we'd thought? It was that first time by the cliffs. It was so dark up there, but the cloudless Olympic sky sparkled with stars…like a million glittering jewels on that warm summer night. Yet not even that rare sight was enough to erase the sadness on your beautiful face; to rid your eyes of that pain whenever you saw her. That's when I realized that all this had become more than just a game to me because that was the first night I actually **felt** your pain so acutely it physically hurt. And when you held me…_

_Well let's just say that Tuscany became secondary out on those cliffs that night._

_Still, for everything I realized that night, there was so much more that I failed to, even though the signs were there - even though what was happening should've been as plain and clear as those stars in the sky. But then again, I never did claim to be an expert…_

OOOOOOOOOO

I squealed in delight and threw myself against Edward's body, wrapping my arms and legs around him and climbing him like a tree - gasping while those freaky hot sparks that were always present when he and I touched coursed through our bodies.

We'd become more used to them after a couple of weeks, but that didn't make them any less potent. We'd just learned to give them a few seconds to sort of settle, and then go back to whatever we were doing.

And right now, what I was doing was going into convulsions because Edward had just bought me a truck!

Okay, so not really bought me. He'd leased it. A very short term lease which wasn't usually done but since Jake knew the guy and came with us…yeah, I had my own truck for the summer; red and brand new and shiny and sleek and badass and all mine! Now I didn't have to bum a ride from Emmett and Rose or Jasper and Alice to get to town. Or even worse (in Edward's eyes): _hitchhike_. Cue horror movie music.

So to spare me from white-bearded logger dudes with straying eyes and hands and crying, drooling babies strapped into car seats and _uber_-in-love twenty year olds practically dry humping each other in the front seat, Edward had leased me a truck.

Well, to spare me from all that and to make sure I made it to the hospital on time every day to put on our show in front of Bree.

"I take it you like it?" Edward chuckled while my body lay wrapped and stuck to his rock hard torso like a squishy jellyfish.

"Hell yeah I like it!" I squealed, my face up against his soft, silky hair. And then, ever aware of the charade we were putting on for everyone and how word spread like bad germs, I pulled away enough to look in his sea-green eyes - and planted my mouth on his.

See, from day one, I liked kissing Edward. Well, okay, maybe more than liked.

First, there were those un-fucking-believable sparks – that heat that practically melded our lips together whenever they connected. It was freakin' addictive.

Second, his lips were so soft and his breath always smelled and tasted so good. As well as I could remember, Ty had always tasted of weed or gum or potato chips or McDonald's or something. And more recently, Felix had tasted of cigarettes, which honestly, I'd never minded until I'd kissed Edward and tasted how delicious naturally fresh breath could be.

Third and maybe most importantly, I loved how it rattled Edward. It was one of the few times he was speechless and unable to smirk at me for at least five whole minutes.

But there was never any tongue involved. We'd both come to a sort of unspoken agreement: along with sex, tongue wasn't necessary for our purposes. I could see why _he_ wouldn't want it - you know, being in love with Bree and all. As for _me_…well, if just planting my lips on his was addictive, I might cut his tongue out and keep it if I ever tasted it.

I _sooo_ didn't want to spend a night in jail again.

So I'd sort of just suck on his sweet, sweet lips and laugh while he remained stock still and rested his hands lightly on my waist, all rattled and flustered and maybe a little embarrassed by the PDAs he'd obviously never been a part of before.

"Alright guys, time to come up for air," Jake laughed behind us.

I pulled away and groaned, climbing off my Edward tree. He looked dazed and confused, just like I liked him.

"Aw man! Do I have to?"

"If you plan on driving this car off this lot, you do," Jake smirked.

See? No matter what, _someone_ was always smirking at me.

I ignored Jake's smirk and ran towards the driver's side of _my_ truck, opening up _my_ door.

"Hold on there, Isabella," Edward said, rushing to my side. "Maybe you should let me drive the first few times, just until you get used to how the truck maneuvers."

I turned my head to stare at him, but my left foot remained poised at the ready on the lift. "See, you're supposed to be this smart doctor and all, but that makes absolutely _no sense_. How in the world am _I_ supposed to get used to it if _you'll_ be driving?"

He sighed. "You can watch me and-"

I turned my head and climbed into my truck, shutting the door behind me. Edward glared my way and I smiled widely at him.

"You'd better get in quick or Jake'll leave you riding shotgun!"

"Shot not!" Jake yelled, and next thing I knew he was climbing into the passenger side, but before both ass-cheeks could hit black leather Edward reached in and yanked him out.

I burst out laughing, even while Edward scowled at me.

It'd been a couple of weeks since we'd started our ruse, cleverly entitled OGBB by me, or 'Operation Get Bree Back', and he was _still_ so darn rigid so much of the time. Every once in a while though, when the planets were in the correct alignment or Bree hadn't put on her own PDA show in front of him that day or whatever universal calibration necessary for a happy Edward had thankfully occurred, a grin would break through, or even a chuckle, and his face would morph into the most beautiful creation – a thousand leagues beyond "The David." Never having actually seen "The David," I could only assume this, but if we both got our way, Edward would be smiling much more by the end of the summer and I…well, I'd be able to really compare him to Michelangelo's creation.

"Jake, here!" I said, reaching back to hand him my cell phone, "video me on my first drive in my truck so I can send it to Jamie!"

"Check your mirrors before you pull out."

"I know that, Edward." I turned around for the teeny tiniest two seconds to smile and pose for Jake and the camera.

"Isabella, keep your eyes up front!" Edward snapped. "And make sure you signal before you make the right turn onto Warren."

"Warren is still a quarter of a mile away. The signal can wait. Ooh, I've got satellite radio?" I cried, reaching out to play with the touch-screen. "Sweet! Ow!" I yelped when Edward smacked my hand away.

"Leave the radio alone for now and pay attention to your driving. You're swerving a bit."

"I am not swerving at all and I drive much better with music on."

"You _were_ swerving, and I said no radio."

"I was _not_ swerving and fine then, I'll make my own music. _Rumor has it! Rumor! Rumor has it! Rumor! Rumor has it he's the one I'm-" _

"Fine, fine! You can have the radio on. But I pick the station."

I grinned smugly. Edward sighed.

"I don't know about you two," Jake chuckled.

I looked in the rearview mirror and winked at him playfully.

"Isabella, eyes up front."

I sighed. "Jake, can you pass me my phone please?"

"Jake, don't!"

"Ja-ake…" I cooed all sing-songy, reaching my hand back. Jake complied.

Edward tried to snatch it away but my ninja reflexes were too quick for him.

"Isabella! Leave the phone alone while you're driving."

"Siri, why does my boyfriend constantly have a stick up his ass?"

Jake burst out laughing. Out of my periphery I could see Edward scowling darkly.

"I don't know," came Siri's semi-robotic voice. "Maybe you should try soothing him."

"And how do you propose I do that?" I asked her with a smile.

"Isabella, give me the phone and pull over."

"Bella, stop, please!" Jake rasped breathlessly, gripping his stomach. "I can't breathe!"

"That is something only you have the answer to," Siri answered.

Edward snatched the phone away, green eyes blazing. In the past couple of weeks I'd come to learn that when the green eyes blazed it was usually a good idea to chill with the joking – and start with the kegels.

"Pull over. Now."

"Yes sir, Mr. Grey," I smirked.

Jake howled in the back seat.

"Who the hell is Mr. Grey?" Edward asked.

"Oh never mind." I rolled my eyes and kegeled away.

OOOOOOOOOO

We arrived at the hospital forty-minutes later, though I insisted it would've been thirty-five if Edward would've let me drive, and he insisted it would've been never because we probably would've crashed into one of the evergreens on the way. He got out and so did I, crossing over the front of the truck to get to my rightful place in the driver's seat.

"Please be careful, Isabella," he smirked, stopping in front of me and blocking my way.

"Yes, yes, I know!" I insisted, and then unable to contain my excitement, I started bouncing up and down.

He grinned, a grin that reached his eyes and made them shine and yeah, see? Just like that, my bouncing stopped, because watching Edward grin with his whole face was a sight worth stopping and staring at and studying – my own personal "David."

His eyes softened. In the past couple of weeks, Edward and I had gotten to know each other better, and despite our constant 'arguing' and my teasing, we'd become friends.

"Will you be able to come pick me up after work? I'd like to have dinner at the restaurant tonight- if you'd like."

And yeah, though he could be a bossy fucker at times, he could also be a perfect gentleman.

"Of course I'd like." I smiled back softly, still mesmerized by that grin, still kegeling.

"Good," he grinned wider. "I'll probably stay a couple of hours later to make up for the time I took off to go into Port Angeles. But I expect I'll be ready by eight."

Jake and I had picked the truck out over at his friends dealership in Port Angeles. Edward had just had to come down to fill out the paperwork, since it was his dough paying for it.

"Sounds good," I nodded, smiling.

"If there are any changes, I'll call you on your cell."

I held up my pretty white phone with the sparkly jewel-encrusted cover that Edward called gaudy but that I absolutely _had_ to have. "Siri and I will be waiting!"

He rolled his eyes before trailing them to Jake, who'd taken the seat I'd abandoned in the front of the truck. He waved bye to him and Jake waved back.

Edward brought his attention back down to me. "Have a fun rest of the day," - almost imperceptibly, his eyes flashed to Jake before returning to me quickly - "but try to make sure you're not late to come meet me."

"You have a good rest of your day too, Edward. And I won't be late," I assured him.

And then, because we were in front of the hospital, and because it was a small town and because it was part of OGBB, and because, like I said, I honestly enjoyed it, I got on my tiptoes and raised my hands to his broad, strong shoulders and with our eyes locked on each other, I moved in and pressed my mouth to his again, feeling the familiar, crazy heat where my lips touched his and where my hands touched his shoulders and just everywhere on my body. It really was addictive.

When we finally managed to pull away from the heat he looked at me and his mouth twisted up at one corner.

"Crazy," he chuckled, adjusting my pretty beads-and-feathers necklace on my neck because it always managed to get skewed when we kissed.

"Yeah," I chuckled back. "It really is."

OOOOOOOOOO

"So do you think he's suspicious?" Jake asked as we drove through the woods on our way back to the Cullen house.

It was another record-breaking heat day up here in the Northwest, and we were going to take full advantage of the Cullen hospitality and spend the day lazing by the pool with whoever else wanted to join us. Jake, who owned his own garage, basically made his own hours. Emmett and Rosalie, chefs and owners of the Forks Square Grill & Steakhouse, worked afternoons and evenings, and Jasper and Alice, home from school for the summer, spent the days in the pool too, helping out at the restaurant in the evenings. But as far as I was concerned, I had the best job of all – I was Doctor Edward Cullen's 'girlfriend.'

"He has no clue," I grinned, giving Jake a sideways glance as I navigated my new truck down the winding roads I was beginning to know better.

"I don't know, Bells," Jake warned warmly, "I'm not so sure Ed'll be too happy with this. It's really not so much his thing anymore."

I rolled my eyes at the windshield. "Trust me, Jake. This is exactly what Edward needs; to let that pretty bronze hair down and let loose, man!" I joked. "Unwind! Let go of some of that stress. Do you realize he's only had one day off in the past two weeks?"

True to Edward's word, I'd had to find lots of ways to fill my time over the past couple of weeks. I'd made it over to Jake's garage a couple of times, where he'd kept his promise to try to teach me to hotwire a car, but after those disastrous results we forewent the deejaying lessons and usually spent the days at the pool, hanging with Em and Rose and their little dude – though I tried to stay away from that one, and with Alice and Jasper.

Unfortunately, hanging at the Cullen house by the pool also meant I had plenty of time to try to hide from _Hoverer_, who kept trying to be my new BFF.

Last week for example, _Hoverer -_ aka Esme - had accosted me during breakfast – the way she tended to do almost every morning. She'd lure me in with Emmett's pastries and promises of good caffeine – a substance that had become even more necessary now that my nicotine consumption was being so wickedly restricted.

"Bella," Hoverer began that morning in that oh-so-soothing voice of hers, "has Edward told you that his birthday is coming up in a few weeks?"

I set my caffeine down and grinned. "His _birthday_?"

"Yes," she smiled back smugly, fully aware that she'd had me at hello. "It's June twentieth. We haven't celebrated in a while because he's been gone and…" - she looked away and shrugged - "well, parties and celebrations haven't really been his thing for some time. But I've been thinking…" – she looked back at me and her smile was soft again – "since this summer's shaping up to be so…different and warm and…special already, and since we didn't celebrate his medical degree, maybe we should have a party. A surprise party here by the pool. Just close friends. What do you think, Bella?"

She gazed at me expectantly, as if really awaiting _my_ opinion on the subject.

"What do _I_ think?"

For the past couple of weeks that I'd known the man, he'd been such a puzzle to me. It'd become obvious in just the first few days that Bree dumping him had really done a number on the poor guy, and although it had been about six months since the incident, he still couldn't talk about it without his eyes darkening, his features hardening, a sharp anger taking over his countenance. The sight of Mike made it even worse, and I'd only seen him from afar at this point. But at the sight of Bree the anger would disappear, only to be replaced by sadness. I wasn't sure which was worse, the anger or the sadness.

All in all, Edward was one big brooder. He claimed it would all pass once Bree came to her senses and came back to him. The obvious jealousy in her face whenever she saw us together also tended to relax him. But the man needed to loosen up, kick up his heels, get his mind off of Bree and Mike and OGBB for one night and just hang loose!

A surprise party?

"_I_ think _you_ know exactly what Edward needs!" I grinned coyly. Of course she did, what with all her hovering. Still, unable to restrain myself - as was admittedly a problem for me - I bounced up and down in my seat, clapping my hands happily.

She gazed at me, but instead of giving me that 'you're crazy' look that her son and a few others tended to give me at times, that annoyingly soft smile of hers lit up her admittedly beautiful face, only it was so hard to be annoyed at her when her eyes seemed so genuine.

"Yes, I think I _do_ know exactly what Edward needs," she'd agreed.

But now, here in my brand new truck, Jake didn't seem so sure.

"Hey, he chose the life of a doctor," he muttered, resting his head back against the seat, closing his eyes and crossing his arms across his huge chest. "I warned him when we were younger. Told him we should've become deejays. Warned him about Bree and-"

He cut himself off, his dark eyes growing huge and embarrassed. "Oh shit, Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mention her-"

I chuckled and waved him off.

"S'alright, Jake. It's not like I don't see her almost every single day when I stop by at the hospital."

I felt him watching me. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"What?"

"Knowing that she's so close to him every day?"

I was about to just shrug it off, but then I started thinking…

Would a _real_ girlfriend be so nonchalant, so careless about her boyfriend and the girl he'd been with for almost ten years working so closely together almost every day? True, I'd never claimed to be an expert and true, I'd never been in love, but my gut told me that yes: a _real_ girlfriend would be at least a teeny, tiny bit bothered. I could even almost _feel_ how teeny tiny bit bothered a real girlfriend would be.

Wouldn't she?

"Do you think she wants him back?" I asked Jake.

He didn't answer right away. "I don't think it should matter what she wants as long as he knows what he wants." Silence again, and then Jake chuckled – that carefree chuckle I'd come to associate with him in the short couple of weeks that I'd known him. "And he'd be crazy to want anyone other than you, you nut-head."

I laughed, but inside, something strange I'd never felt before jumped around in my belly.

For Edward's sake, I hoped she did want him back, because that's what was supposed to happen. That was why I was here – to ensure it went that way. And man I wanted to see his eyes and mouth crinkle and smile more often. But then I remembered, once that happened, _I_ wouldn't be here anymore. _I'd_ be way off in Tuscany…

"Did she make him happy, Jake?" I found myself asking. I hoped she did. I hoped the fifteen grand he was going to pay me were worth it. I hoped the summer I was giving up to hang around here was worth it.

Jake sighed one of those long, deep, meaningful sighs.

"I think she made a different version of Edward happy."

"What do you mean?"

"Edward just became a totally different person when he started dating her. Everything became about Bree; what Bree liked to do, where Bree wanted to go, what Bree's plans were."

"You know Edward would've never grown up to be a deejay, right? Bree or no Bree," I grinned.

"Yeah, I know," he smirked begrudgingly. "Not the point."

I gave him a quick sideways glance because if I crashed this truck Edward would kill me. "You sound like a jealous little bitch," I teased.

He chuckled. "Yeah well, maybe I was. I don't know," he said, in that voice that meant he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Bro codes and all, I guess. "Anyway, like I keep saying, you're much cooler, opera-singing and talking-to-necklaces and Siris and all." He put his head back again and closed his eyes.

I laughed. Jake was a funny fucker sometimes.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

Isabella was late - as usual. This was something I was getting used to. Twelve meant twelve-thirty and eight meant eight-thirty, etc. As a result I no longer expected her at whatever time we'd agreed on, but rather half an hour or so later, and knowing this helped to keep me from getting irritated and also kept us on a semi-schedule, at least.

When she finally arrived she did so in a rush, as usual, big tires screeching as she double-parked next to my much smaller Volvo, lowered her window and treated everyone within a ten-mile radius to a free radio concert featuring Katy Perry's latest hit.

"Sorry, I'm late!" she cried. Another sentence I was getting used to from her. I smirked and stood up from the bench I'd been waiting on and while I walked towards her I saw her grin widely and wave at someone behind me.

"Hey Jules, how was your day?"

Nurse Julia was just ending her shift and on her way out. She grinned and waved back.

"I'm good babe! Hey, thanks for those PBB&B sandwiches you sent over with Edward here! They were sure as dee-licious as you said and a big hit at the nurses' station!"

"Aw! I'm glad you guys liked them! I'll make some more tomorrow and bring them over personally!"

I rolled my eyes. When exactly had Isabella and Nurse Julia become buddies?

And then she hopped out of the truck, leaving the engine running and the radio on, ran the few short feet to me, jumped into my arms and kissed me long and hard.

See, this is why she disconcerted me. I mean, she did all these unexpected things at the most unexpected times, and I was never exactly sure what she was going to do or say or when she was going to do it or say it. For the past decade everything in my life had been so orderly and easy and sure and firm and private. My kisses, my relationship with Bree had all been private. We loved each other and as long as we knew that, it wasn't something we had to advertise to the whole world.

But somewhere along the way Bree had changed the rules that she'd help set up herself, and now she and Mike were laughing and walking together hand in hand, and so now I had to pay Isabella fifteen grand to kiss me in public.

Yet even as all that ran through my head my mouth was having the time of its life.

See, Isabella was a great kisser. And holy shit those goddamned sparks that never left us - they were killer! Whenever her mouth landed on mine it took almost herculean restraint not to just say fuck it and plunge my tongue deep in her mouth and just let things go from there. Whenever our mouths met, that maddening heat drove me crazy - just like her.

But how could I take advantage of her that way? Tongues, like sex, were beyond our agreement.

And Bree…

Bree and I had a history. We'd molded each other; literally grown up together. We'd made concrete plans. We had a future to carry out, didn't we?

Yet Isabella…

Yes, I was attracted to her. Yes, the feel of her in my arms drove me crazy, hardened my cock like a steel pipe, had me taking nightly cold showers. But Bree and I had _history_, and Isabella was just a wanderer, a gypsy. We were such total opposites that half of the time I couldn't even believe our agreement had already lasted two weeks.

Besides, when the summer was over, and the warm weather left us, so would she.

OOOOOOOOOO

We were having dinner at Rose and Emmett's restaurant, and Isabella was chomping down on her burger while I tried to enjoy my salad – but damn if all her moaning and groaning weren't distracting as all hell.

"Enjoying it, huh?" I smirked.

She stopped groaning just long enough to look up at me, her eyes as teasing as ever.

"Why don't you have a bite?" She held her burger out to me.

"Because I'd like to live past fifty, thank you."

"Oh come on, Edward! How 'bout living a little _now_! Just one bite," she pleaded.

I smirked again.

"Stop smirking, Edward," she warned. I stopped, knowing full well it wasn't beyond her to flip my lip in public.

"Come on, Edward, take a bite. You might find you enjoy it."

I rolled my eyes.

"Edward," she said, changing her strategy and cooing seductively while she held the burger even closer, right under my nose. God it smelled good. "Take a bite of me. You know you want to," she said in that provocative voice she tended to put on teasingly but which tended to go straight to my groin. "Just one" – she put the burger up to my lips – "little" – she wiggled it there – "_bite_."

I chomped down on that shit like a man that hadn't seen a morsel of food in years.

And fuck it tasted good.

And Isabella laughed and laughed, holding in her perfectly flat stomach when I snatched the burger away from her.

God she was frustrating. But she made me laugh sometimes too.

"Told you it was good," she chuckled, picking up her plate of fries and switching it with my salad. "It's not good to deny yourself for too long, Edward, or you'll end up eating a whole cow one day. Jamie taught me that when I went through my vegan phase - which by the way, didn't end well," she grinned.

I laughed. "Please thank Jamie for his nutritional words of wisdom next time you speak to him," I said through a mouthful of cheeseburger, holding it up in salute, "and I'm sure my arteries thank you both for this too."

She simply chuckled again. "I'll pass it on and you're very welcome. Hey, if I can give up smoking for you, the least you could do is eat some red meat for me."

Before I could respond, a familiar voice spoke up from right next to me. "Hey guys."

I looked up at Mike - with Bree at his side, of course - and swallowed the burger in one go. Somehow I managed to plaster on a smile.

"Hey Mike." I turned to Bree. "Bree."

"Guess we shouldn't be surprised to find you guys here," Mike said, his laugh off and obviously nervous. To think this chump had once been one of my best friends.

"Nice night, not as sticky as it's been, so Bree and I decided to come out for dinner."

I offered him a tight grin but didn't comment. My eyes trailed back to Bree. She was watching me, a small line that I recognized as confusion marring her forehead.

"Since when do you eat burgers, Edward?"

I looked down at the miniscule piece of burger left on my plate.

"Since Isabella re-introduced me to red meat."

She stared at me, seemingly expressionless, but I knew her well. We held each other's gaze and someone cleared their throat. I blinked and looked away and caught Mike stretching his hand out to Isabella.

"Hi, I'm Mike," he chuckled shakily. "Edward and I are…old friends."

_Yeah, old friends_, I snorted internally.

"Isabella Swan," Isabella answered pleasantly though more subdued than usual.

"Yes. I've seen you with Edward around town and the hospital, but," he shrugged sheepishly, "we haven't had a chance to be introduced properly I guess."

_Why the fuck would I introduce her to you, asshole?_ I thought. Isabella simply smiled.

"So how do you like Forks?"

"It's…interesting," Isabella offered, and reached over to take my hand, intertwining our fingers together. "Small, but Edward keeps me pretty entertained in his spare time."

"I'm sure he does," Mike grinned. "Edward was always good at entertaining the girls when we were kids."

"Yeah well, _he's_ all man now," Isabella smiled, blinking innocently, but like Bree's tells, I was beginning to learn hers as well. When Isabella blinked purposely, it usually meant there was fire brewing just underneath the surface.

A long, uncomfortable silence followed.

"Well, we'll let you both get back to your dinner. I just wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to our little town."

"Okay. It was good to meet you, Mike."

"You too, Isabella. Maybe the four of us can have dinner together one of these nights?"

_Are you fucking kidding me?_

Isabella's eyes flashed quickly to me. "We'll get back to you," she smiled sweetly.

"Sounds good," he agreed. "See you at the hospital, Edward."

I nodded. "Yeah. See you." I looked at Bree. "Take care, Bree."

"Bye, Edward." She turned and addressed Isabella for the first time tonight. "Goodbye, Isabella." Her eyes flashed to me before returning to Isabella. "And make sure he doesn't have too much red meat."

Isabella blinked. Twice. For a split-second, something flashed in her own eyes. "Actually, I was about to order him another burger," she smiled.

Bree stared at her, and then Mike turned her around and they walked away. But she turned to look at us one last time, that strange green look on her face once more.

Isabella and I said nothing for a couple of minutes.

"I think it's working," she finally whispered.

I nodded. Her words and the look on Bree's face, they should've elated me, made me happy. But all I felt was angry…and empty.

OOOOOOOOOO

We drove around aimlessly for a while. I stared out the passenger side window, lost in thought while Isabella winded us around and around the narrow roads. She really was a pretty good driver, I'd just never admit that to her.

I sighed. Every run in with Bree left me feeling this way; with this empty, angry feeling inside. Isabella was right. Bree had obviously been jealous tonight, as she appeared almost every time we bumped into her. But as hopeful as that should've made me feel, it pissed me off too.

"Hey, you okay?" Isabella asked quietly.

I nodded, keeping my eyes turned to the passenger window and thinking of a past that seemed more and more long ago with every passing day.

When the car stopped, I was momentarily surprised.

"Where are we?" It was dark out, and took me a few seconds to orient myself.

But Isabella was already grinning and climbing out of the truck. I followed her out.

We were in La Push, over by the cliffs where Jake and Sam and Seth and Emmett and Mike and I used to fool around and cliff dive when we were younger. The stars – seldom seen in this area because of the constant clouds – were out with a vengeance on this clear night; sparkling high and bright in the dark sky.

"How'd you know about this spot?" I asked her as we walked to the edge of the cliffs. The river flowed quietly far below.

"Jake showed me," she shrugged, gazing up at the sky.

Something knotted up in my stomach. "Did he now?"

She nodded. "He told me you guys used to jump from here when you were kids." Her eyes returned to me. "It's hard to imagine you jumping from here."

I smirked and she moved in to flip my lip but I'd anticipated it and pushed her hand away. She chuckled.

"Why is that hard to imagine, because I'm not as fun as your buddy Jake?"

"First of all, he's your buddy Jake too. And second, I just meant that it's really freakin' high," she chuckled. "And third, you know you're my fun boy," she teased. "_Fun boy, fun boy_," she began singing.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," I suddenly blurted.

"What?"

"Bree and I - we were supposed to get married, be two successful doctors with two successful careers and a successful marriage and two smart, successful children."

"You really had it all planned out, didn't you?"

"Yes! I did!" I scrubbed my hand down my face.

She was quiet. "You can still have that," she finally reassured me.

"I thought you didn't believe in fate," I sneered.

"I don't believe in fate for me," she shrugged. "But if you believe her to be _your_ fate, then maybe things just got off track. We just have to get it back on."

I ran my hand through my hair, staring out at the darkness in front of me. "Then what?"

"Then what?" she repeated.

"How do we rebuild from there? How do we get back to where we used to be?"

She was silent for a long, long time. "Edward, I'm sorry, but I don't know the answers to these questions. I'm not expert on this. I've _never_ been in love."

I grinned wryly. "I wish I could say that."

"No, you don't wish that. Because at the end of the day, at least you know that for a long time, she was there for you, she was someone you could count on. And when all's said and done and this summer's over, she'll be there for you again. I promise you that."

She sounded so melancholic suddenly. I turned to look at her, but she wouldn't meet my eyes.

Who was this girl – this beautiful wanderer of who I knew so little about?

I walked closer to her, so close I could feel her warm breath on my chest when she exhaled. With two fingers I brought her chin up and waited for her to meet my eyes.

"Isabella, maybe _you've_ never been in love, but I don't believe for a minute that no one's ever been in love with _you_."

She shook her head.

"How about Felix the Human Chimney?"

She snorted. "He doesn't count. He was nuts."

"Two nuts together. Perfect," I teased.

She chuckled once, looking away. "Yeah, you'd think, wouldn't you? But somehow…two nuts together don't work. Unless there's a penis between them."

She flashed her eyes to me and grinned wryly.

And without thinking about it, without any planned conscious thought, which was crazy because everything I did was done with planned conscious thought, I brought Isabella to me and wrapped my arms around her.

We both gasped, because just as always happened when our lips met, when our bodies met it was like some unseen force was melding us together, welding us with a blacksmith's hot iron. And then slowly, Isabella brought her arms around my waist, and together, there in the dark of night under the stars, we simply held each other.

I sighed, feeling strangely content and…full. This embrace was different from the rest we'd shared over the past couple of weeks. Because we weren't holding each other to put on a show. We were simply comforting one another. Like real…friends.

"We'll figure it out, Isabella," I promised her. "We'll both find our fate."

And holding her there in my arms, it was suddenly so easy to believe we would.

**A/N: I'm not sure which one I want to beat with a bigger stick.**

**I appreciate that so many of you have put this on Story/Favorites Alert. How about sending me off a quick review and giving me your thoughts? I really do love hearing from you guys. It makes me anxious to write more…to move us forward quicker!**


	9. Chapter 9 Teasing & Taunting

**A/N: Jeez, how I enjoyed hearing from you guys after this chapter! It makes me so happy that so many of you are enjoying this story and already consider it your summer read. I promise to do my best with it, and I really hope you'll all keep letting me hear from you! **

**Once again guys, since many of you keep asking, I fully believe in HEAs. I guess I'm making many of you nervous. Sorry!**

**I'm revising the chapter estimate I gave a couple of chapters ago. I'm thinking more like 25 chapters now, though as I've said, that can be give or take.**

**There's still plenty we don't know about Bella's – as well as Edward & Bree's – past, and I know many of you are anxious to get there. We will soon enough. **

**Oh, and for those who haven't noticed, update days have changed to Tuesdays and Fridays. Those days just work better for me. I am going to try to continue updating twice weekly, but it's summer vacation for the kiddies, and my already hectic schedule has gotten even more so.**

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing and helping me keep this story straight.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Teasing & Taunting**

**BPoV**

_I hid it well though, didn't I? Not necessarily from everyone else because apparently **I** was an open book, but from you…and even more so, from myself. But how could I have known? I'd never been there. And at first, as the teasing on both sides increased, it was just so easy to call it physical. I never denied my attraction to you, and you…well it was just so good to see you finally laughing that I never stopped to think of how strange that was…that you should be learning to laugh again while she was still so out of reach. And I sure as hell never stopped to wonder how that would complicate things once you won her back – once you didn't need **me** anymore…_

OOOOOOOOOO

Little dude was wailing up a storm. Rose had taken him inside the house for his late morning nap, but little Brady Cullen seemed to have other ideas.

I turned to check on Edward, who was lying on the deck lounger next to me, under a very large and very wide patio umbrella that completely shielded his navy-board-shorts-and-white-tee-shirt wearing body from all light. My own lounger lay out in the open, so that I could fully embrace the sun's glorious rays and bask in its warmth in my borrowed-but-never-gonna-give-it-back red bikini.

I sighed and flipped my shades up. "Doesn't that kid know some of us are trying to chill and catch some rays here?"

Edward chuckled, eyes closed. "While the first part of that question may be valid, I, unlike you apparently, like my skin and therefore choose _not_ to court melanoma."

"What are you, a vampire?" I rested my head back, closing my own eyes while the warmth of the sun tickled my face. "So scared of the sun," I snickered.

"Yeah, we'll see who's snickering in twenty years when your skin's all wrinkled and pruny, and my skin's as soft as a baby's bottom."

"At least I can see my reflection in the mirror. And I'm not afraid of crosses."

"Actually vampires _can_ see their reflections and are _not_ afraid of crosses," he responded dryly. "However, they do sparkle."

I giggled. "They do _not_."

His lips twitched almost indiscernibly. Edward was teasing me. "Yes, they do."

"No, they _don't,_" I argued.

Edward had _finally_ found time this weekend to just chill with me by the pool. Supposedly, this was because there were too many doctors working the ER this weekend, and since Edward hadn't had time off in a while, Administrator Mike was giving him thirty-six hours off.

But we all knew the real reason was because tonight was Edward's surprise 27th birthday party, and the Chief of Staff, Carlisle, had pulled strings to get Edward time off.

We all had jobs today. _Hoverer's_ job for the past couple of weeks had been all the planning and prep that went into this shindig. Rose and Emmett were catering, of course. As we spoke Emmett was inside the huge Cullen gourmet kitchen doing things that were making my mouth water just by thinking about them. Jasper and Alice had driven into some town called Port Angeles this morning to pick up the decorations Esme had ordered. And my job was to keep my 'boyfriend' entertained for the day - make sure no suspicions arose as to what we all had up our sleeves. Then later this afternoon I was to disappear from here with him for a couple of hours while they set everything up and then get him back here in time to yell surprise!, open a few beers and shake it up 'til sunup.

He sighed. "Look, if you're not going to come under the umbrella with me, will you at least put some sunscreen on? I'm feeling moles pop up on me just from looking at you."

"Sweet as ever." I huffed and sat up straight, feeling a little woozy from the bright sun that had been at my eyes for the better part of an hour. "Oh fine, hand me that sunscreen."

He picked up the sunscreen bottle from the side table next to him and held it out to me without opening his eyes or lifting his head. I huffed again and snatched it.

"I can't get my back. Will you do it for me, please?"

He didn't answer right away. "Just don't lie face down and you should be fine."

"Edward!" I chuckled incredulously, "I can't expose one side to the sun and not the other! I'll tan all unevenly! Will you _please_ do my back for me?"

Again, he didn't answer immediately. Instead he opened his eyes _uber_-slowly, almost begrudgingly, and then turned them to me with languid hesitation. When they locked on mine they were dark and burning and so kegelicious. Boy I was going to have the strongest pelvic muscles this side of the Pacific once this summer was over.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Give me the sunscreen and lie down on your front."

Doing as I was told, I reached backwards to pull at the string to my bikini top so I wouldn't get any of those tacky tan lines. I heard the spluttering of cream and the sound of Edward's hands rubbing together, and then I inhaled sharply and heard him hiss when his hands touched my back.

But this was a totally new sensation – like when he hugged me by the cliffs without an audience a couple of weeks ago. Edward's hands slowly and carefully circled around my shoulders and then traveled lower, mid-back, and then lower still, to my waist. My nethers started to tingle. I kegeled away, vaguely wondering if his hands could feel the way my thighs clenched at his touch.

His hands stilled, voice low and somewhat strained all at once. "Done. Anything else you need?"

And while what I really could've done with at that moment were his hands on my crotch instead of my back, I simply shook my head.

Yet instead of taking his hands off, they trailed upwards oh so slowly, his fingers ghosting softly over the outline of my spine, further up to my neck and raising a goh-zillion goose bumps as they went. I honestly don't know if it was simply my horny mind playing tricks on me, but then I could've sworn his fingers traced a couple of slow circles at the nape of my neck before I felt him unclasp my necklace.

"Take this off before you forget you have it on and throw yourself in the pool with it."

His voice was rough now. I nodded, confused and so damn grateful I was facing down and away from him because ever since that night by the cliffs, I'd been having some _uber_-crazy dreams about this man and right now my pelvic muscles were singing.

I fell asleep on my stomach - kegeling - and must've woken about fifteen minutes or so later. When I fastened my top and sat up and looked around, my eyes landed on Edward, laying face up and eyes closed across his lounger with only board shorts on now. Apparently at some point during my nap, the temperature had spiked, and the shirt had come off.

And Holy. Shit.

My eyes must've shot some heat lasers down his happy trail because Edward's eyes popped open. I turned away quickly - a little too quickly.

Despite my obvious faux pas, he didn't say a word. Out of my periphery I could see him staring straight ahead. I shifted my eyes all the way to the corners of their sockets _just_ enough and could _just_ make out the washboard abs and chords of muscle up and down his arms and holy mother-effing _shit!_

_Keep calm Bella!_

I forced my body to remain perfectly still. My eyeballs were ordered front and center and I stared straight ahead like him, whistling a happy tune to myself while I looked up and down on repeat – staring at everything except at what I wanted to stare at – _badly_.

And then I burst out laughing.

"What?" Edward snapped.

"I mean, look at you!" I laughed uncontrollably and waved a wild arm in the general direction of his beautiful six-pack. "Was I really _not_ supposed to notice?"

He glared at me, but his lips twitched again, like earlier, and a slow smile crept over his face. It was one of those smiles that crinkled his eyes and made them sparkle and yeah, made life just generally grand.

"Really? _You're_ going to talk about having to pretend _not_ to notice?" he smirked. "What about you?"

"What _about_ me?" I squealed.

He arched an eyebrow, and then very slowly and deliberately, his green eyes blazed a trail from my shoulders, down to my breasts, my waist, my hips, down my legs and ended on the very tips of my red-manicured toes – courtesy of Alice.

Holy. Fuck. I don't know how I managed _not_ to come right then and there.

"Do you know how…_hard_ it's been for me all morning" - he asked with a crooked grin – "to pretend not to notice _those_?" He waved his own hand in the direction of my admittedly pretty tatas. "And then when you fell asleep on your stomach, not to notice _that_?" His hand gestured towards my ass.

I fell into fits over the lounger, chortling so hard I felt tears well up at the corners of my eyes. After a minute, Edward's husky chuckle joined mine. When I opened my eyes back up he was smirking at me so I flew out of my lounger and went to flip his lip, but he grabbed my wrists and wrestled me onto his lounger - emerald eyes sparkling with mischief and I hadn't been so happy in such a long time as I was right that second.

That is, until Rosalie came out with the little dude and ignoring the fact that Edward and I were obviously very busy, planted him right on my lap.

I sat straight up, turning sideways in the chair and staring wide-eyed at the fat thing on me in nothing more than diapers. He stared back with those huge blue eyes of his, drool dripping down his many chins.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" I wondered aloud.

Rose smirked – a Cullen thing, obviously. "Watch him for me for an hour or so. He refuses to sleep and I have things to do."

Yeah, I knew what she had to do. Emmett made the sweets and she made the savories, and since it was my supposed "boyfriend's" party I couldn't very well complain, could I?

Rose walked away without waiting for an answer, and Brady and I just sort of stared at each other. I poked his fat stomach, wondering if it would ever look like his uncle's.

"Just don't poop kid," I warned, "and we should be okay for the next fifty-nine minutes."

Edward laughed. "Haven't you ever changed a diaper?"

"Nope." I poked little dude's round tummy again. It felt soft and squishy. Like play-doh. "Have you?"

"Sure." He sat next to me on the long lounger, more subdued than he'd been just a few seconds ago and ran a hand over Brady's bald head. Edward had really nice hands actually, not too soft and not too rough and remembering how they'd felt running up and down my back less than half an hour ago sent a shiver down my spine.

"I've changed Brady here a couple of times," Edward continued, unaware of my wayward thoughts. "And I changed Jasper's diaper once or twice-"

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't be spreading lies like that in public, bro." Jasper laughed as he and Alice entered the backyard. "Especially not in front of the ladies!"

"Oh, Jazz honey. I think it's cute that Edward's seen your peen." Alice stripped off her cover up and dove elegantly into the water.

"Hah!" I laughed and pointed at Jasper. "Edward's seen your peen!"

And even though Alice joined in, both men gave _me_ the patented Cullen smirk!

"See what you started Ed?" Jazz grinned wryly, "No lady, no matter how pretty, should be allowed to laugh at the Cullen Peen. It's our legacy." He dove in, making Alice shriek, and pinned her against the pool's edge. Then they started laughing quietly - you know, like lovers tend to do right before they're about to start going at it hot and heavy?

"I'll teach you to laugh at my peen tonight," he growled lowly, making her giggle.

"Bella laughed too!" Alice said.

"Yeah well, I'm sure my big brother'll be teaching his own lessons tonight about laughing at the Cullen legacy." And then he moved in and kissed her, and I turned away and looked at Edward, but he was kind of just staring at Brady.

So for the next forty-five minutes, Edward and I entertained ourselves by poking little dude's big belly.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

"Edward, who was your first?"

"Isabella, none of your business."

"Come on! Tell me!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

Half an hour later:

"Please tell me!"

"Okay, okay! It was my friend Jess."

"The pretty girl with the curly brown hair we ran into in the restaurant last week?"

"Yes."

"Ooh, she's got big boobies. That must've been fun."

I rolled my eyes.

"How old were you?"

"Seventeen."

"I thought you were seventeen when you started dating Bree?"

I could more feel than see Isabella's eyes on me. We were lying side by side under a tree, shaded from the setting sun over by the cliffs.

"She was right before Bree. She was my first girlfriend, actually. Jess, Mike, Jake, Bree, the rest…we were all friends. We all hung out and goofed around together. Well, not always Bree. She was always…quieter, more reserved…"

"So what happened?"

I shrugged, feeling suddenly guilty about something that happened a decade ago. "We dated for about four months, and then Bree…well I'd sort of always liked her, and she and I finally started getting close…"

"Ooh, you broke up with poor Jess for Bree? That's messed up, man."

"I was seventeen, Isabella. I didn't really know how to do these things right. And like I said, I'd always liked Bree."

"Did you still hang out with the rest of the guys?"

It took me a few seconds to answer. "Not as much as I used to. Like I said, Bree was different. She didn't like doing a lot of the things we used to do."

"Like what?"

Man, Isabella was nosy. I sighed and sat up, bending my legs.

"Like…hanging out at the beach, or by the cliffs here, or at Jake's house, or just, to borrow a word from you, chillin.'"

Isabella smiled, but it was the kind of smile you gave a friend when you felt sorry for them.

"That was fine by me," I said quickly. "I mean, we were getting older. It was time to stop with all that shit and get serious anyway." I ripped up some grass from the ground and flung it back down.

She lifted herself on one elbow and gazed at me. "So you changed for her."

"I didn't change _for_ her," I insisted. "It was time to be more mature. _I_ needed to be more mature."

"Correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, I'm no expert," she said quietly, "but I've heard that when you love someone you're supposed to love them for who they are."

"Yes, but by the same coin, when you love someone, it's okay to make a few changes if it makes both parties happy."

"As long as you're not changing who you are fundamentally."

I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

"So Jess and Bree? Was that it?"

I stared at her, at first not planning to answer, but the words just poured out. "No," I said with a deep breath. "In Italy, there was this…woman, Gianna."

She raised an eyebrow for me to continue.

I exhaled. "I met her at a café. She approached me and we started talking and…I suppose one thing led to another…."

Isabella nodded slowly. "It's okay you know," she finally said. "You don't have to feel guilty."

"What makes you think I feel guilty?" I snorted.

She shrugged and smiled softly. "Well, for one, because I think I know you well enough by now to know that casual hook-ups aren't your thing. And for another…" - she bit her lip, an action that tended to distract me, but I wanted to know what she was going to say so I tried to ignore the way my cock twitched – "Like I said, I'm not an expert or anything, but…if you and Bree aren't together any longer, I don't think you owed her anything."

I simply stared at her, unsure of what to say because yes, I supposed it was true. I hadn't owed Bree anything while in Italy. But if that was true, if I no longer owed it to her to be faithful, then what, after almost a decade, did I owe her…did she still owe me? There _had_ to be _something_ we still owed each other, didn't there? Because if there wasn't, what was there left for us to rebuild?

I didn't want to think about these things. At least not right now. "What about you? Who was your first?" I asked Isabella, mainly to distract myself.

She lay against the grass again and looked up at the tree above us. "This guy called Ty. I was fifteen, he was seventeen. It lasted a whole six months before he dumped me. There were a couple of guys afterwards, and then Felix, the Human Chimney. Hey, Edward, what's your birth parent's last name?"

I blinked. Startled by her quick admission and even quicker turn of her game back onto me, I lay back against the grass next to her. "Masen."

"So you're Edward Anthony Masen?"

"No. I'm Edward Anthony Cullen."

"Do you ever miss your birth parents?"

I had to think about that one for a second. Isabella had been playing her own version of twenty questions with me for the better part of the hour, and at first I'd indulged her for a variety of reasons: one, because I'd come to learn that answering her questions was easier than trying to avoid doing so, two, because up until a couple of questions ago, they'd been pretty innocuous, and three, because we were 'chilling', as she'd put it, by the cliffs this afternoon after two long weeks without my having a day off. My eyes had been closed as we lay under a tree right up against the cliffs, and the breeze had been lulling me. And as crazy as it was, so had the sound of her voice.

"I don't really remember them, so I can't say I've missed them. Or maybe I have. I don't know," I shrugged. "It's hard to recognize an emotion you've never experienced before."

She was silent for a while. I thought she'd finally gotten bored with her questions.

"Have Jasper or Emmett ever been jealous of you?"

"Jealous of me?" I chuckled and opened my eyes, lifting myself on my elbow and turning to look at her again. She lay next to me with her eyes closed, in that red bikini that had been giving me a perpetual hard-on all day. Thankfully she'd covered it up with her black cover-up - not that my cock could tell much of a difference. I sighed inwardly. "What do you mean?"

She took her time answering while I stared at the way the breeze rustled the mahogany hair framing her face. A long strand landed right over her right eye. I reached out to tuck it behind her ear,

"I mean," - she moved the strand away impatiently and I lowered my hand back down - "when you came to live with Hoverer and Carlisle."

I chuckled at her nickname for my mom. "Jasper wasn't born yet at the time."

"Emmett then," she insisted peculiarly. "Did he ever make you feel…unwelcome, like you were intruding on his family?"

"No," I chuckled, and sat up straight to stare down at her. She opened her eyes and sat up too, leaning back on her palms. The black cover up blew in the breeze, rising above her thighs. I swallowed thickly and kept my eyes on hers. "I honestly don't remember it because I was only three when it happened, but the way Esme tells the story, Emmett and I, being god-brothers already, were always really close. When my birth parents died and I came to live with the Cullens, it took very little adjustment on anyone's part. I mean, other than the grief my parents felt from losing their best friends, at the same time they were relieved that I'd survived, and they already loved me. At that point they just started loving me more and I them, I suppose. I honestly don't remember a time before they were my parents and Emmett and Jasper were my brothers."

Isabella nodded thoughtfully, biting her lip again, staring straight ahead. "_I_ remember being three. Jamie was eleven then. I'd follow him everywhere, even when his friends were over, and he'd actually let me hang with them, even if they complained."

"Tell me about your family," I prompted.

She grinned, but I thought I detected something different in her grin.

"What about my family?"

"What does Jamie do?" I asked, beginning with who was obviously her favorite relative.

Her grin widened. She looked beyond the cliffs, pulling on a few blades of grass absently.

"Jamie's…Jamie's a sports writer," she finally gushed.

"Really?" I grinned back. "I guess that explains the Phoenix Suns paraphernalia?"

She nodded vehemently, her pretty brown eyes glowing in the fading light of day.

"He's very successful - one of the best sports writers out there. He and my dad Charlie have always been huge sports fans."

I chuckled at the obvious pride in her voice. "So who does Jamie write for?"

She shrugged. "I forget the publication. He reminds me a lot, but…well, you know me."

I snorted. "Is he married?"

She shook her head.

"And what do your parents do?"

"My dad's a cop, and my mom just stays at home."

"A cop?" I asked, surprised. "And he's really okay with your favorite mode of transportation?"

"I guess he doesn't really know," she shrugged sheepishly. "None of them do."

"I'd bet they wouldn't be too happy," I told her with a raised brow.

"No, they probably wouldn't," she agreed, quietly blushing and looking thoughtfully towards the cliffs again.

"Promise me something, Isabella?" I found myself asking. And this time I did reach out, and I took her small hand in mine. She gasped lowly, startled by the heat as always, but I simply grinned and let myself enjoy it.

She brought her eyes back to mine, gazing at me intently. "What?"

"When you leave…no more hitchhiking?" I pleaded softly, and intertwined our fingers. And at that moment, the thought of her leaving…of her out there…by herself…it made my chest burn painfully.

Isabella simply stared at me for a couple of minutes. Then she pulled her hand out of mine and swiped her palms together to get rid of the dirt and grass. "Come on, let's get going."

OOOOOOOOOO

Isabella's strange mood of the afternoon did another total one-eighty as we neared my parent's house. I shifted in my seat so I could look at her better, and I had to admit to myself, the day's sun had given her face and shoulders a pretty golden glow, despite the dangerous rays. The word "radiant" was suddenly so prominent in my mind; Isabella looked absolutely radiant. For a split second, a picture of Bree popped into my head. She'd always hated the sun; running from it at every turn and trying to make sure I did too. I couldn't remember her face ever once glowing the way Isabella's did right now.

I shook my head quickly and turned back to the windshield.

"So do you want to watch a movie?" Isabella asked as I drove her truck up into my parent's driveway. "Or go in the pool again? Or watch a movie?" Her glowing face was stretched out in a huge grin that didn't quite match the plans she had for the evening. Her pretty little body seemed to be bouncing in its seat – as a matter of fact, it was.

I cut the engine - leaving the keys in the ignition - and decided to tease her again. Lately I'd been finding it was actually sort of fun to do. "Actually, I was thinking of calling Jake and a couple of the guys. Seeing if they wanted to drive up to Port Angeles and go get a few beers."

She jerked her head back and raised a brow. "Beers? _You_, Doctor Cullen?"

I smirked and pushed her hand away when she tried to flip my lip. "Yes, Ms. Swan. Even boring old me can appreciate the joys of a nice cool beer on a hot summer day every once in a while," I said, remembering the words she'd used that first day back in the examining room. "Especially when I don't need to wake up sober at the crack of dawn the next day. I mean, it's been a while," I raked my hair, "but I think I can figure it out."

She chuckled. "Alright, push me off to the side and go have your guy's night out without me. See if I care," she teased back. "But you can't take my truck."

"Oh, I _am_ taking the truck."

"Over my dead body," she threatened lowly. And then she reached over and in a flash pulled the keys out of the ignition, threw her door open and jumped out, running off.

I took two seconds to roll my eyes at the sky and then jumped out after her.

"Isabella!"

She ignored me and ran up the driveway, stopping by the fence door to the back yard.

"Isabella!" I smirked and stalked over to her while she just stood there, pretty brown eyes wide and laughing, jiggling the keys by her face tauntingly. "Isabella, I _was_ going to invite you, but now I don't think I will," I taunted her back.

"Then you can just drive your cute little silver Volvo to the bar. I'm sure you'll make quite the impression pulling up in that."

"I don't know what kind of impression the Volvo would make," I hissed through clenched teeth, all the while getting closer, but she made no move to outrun me, "because _I'm_ taking the truck." I came to a stop right in front of her. Her eyes sparkled in the twilight. She'd been holding the keys up like a prize just next to her head but now she wrapped them tightly in her palm.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am," I grinned crookedly.

"Over my dead-"

She shrieked when I picked her up over my shoulder and carried her into the back yard.

"Isabella Swan," I hissed, while she laughed her head off, "_You_ have been acting up all day and I really think you need to cool off for a while in the-"

"SURPRISE!"

I looked up, startled, and was met by a bunch of smiling familiar faces, all staring at me.

"Happy Birthday, Edward!" Bella cried, climbing off of me. "Were you surprised? Were you? Were you?"

I blinked a couple of times, my eyes moving from her to the friends and family beyond. My parents, brothers, Rosalie and the baby, Alice, Jake, and then friends and family I hadn't had much of a chance to reconnect with in the month or so that I'd been back: Sam, Seth, Jess, Ben, Eric, Paul, Becca, Leah, Tanya, Gary, and at the very end, Mike and Bree.

Bree's eyes met mine, and then Isabella threw herself in my arms again, wrapping her own arms around my neck.

"Were you surprised, Edward?" she whispered excitedly against my neck.

I stared at Bree as I held Isabella. She was watching me with that look on her face again.

"Yes, Isabella. Yes, I'm very surprised."

* * *

**A/N: There's this facebook group where we can discuss all matters related to Quirkella and her Uptightward, as well as FBIward, Clubward, Adward, and any other Edward you want to discuss. Go to my profile for the link. In the meantime, please leave me your wonderful (and maybe not so wonderful?) thoughts…**


	10. Ch 10 Loose Lips & Tight Spaces

**A/N: Why oh why is Bree at Edward's surprise party?**

**You'll find out now.**

**I am truly enjoying reading each and every single one of your reviews guys. There are just some questions I can't answer yet. They will have to be revealed in the story. But I love reading where your thoughts are going…**

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing for me, singing operatically with me and getting as excited about this chapter as I did!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Ch. 10 - Loose Lips & Tight Spaces**

**Chapter Song Recs:**

**_We are Young_ by Fun**

**_Somebody That I Used to Know_ by Gotye**

* * *

**BPoV:**

_It's funny, but it wasn't until that night of the pool party that I actually realized how much deeper than physical my feelings for you had gotten. That night…when **she** pushed and **I** pushed back… it awoke something in me…a dormant passion that up until that point I hadn't even known existed. _

_Turned out, I didn't even need Tuscany. I'd found passion right in the little town of Forks…_

_That was when I realized how far I was willing to take this game – not just for you, but for me too. Because even though I didn't quite yet recognize it for what it was, I let myself open up to hope that night. All breathless and confused in that dark, steamy room, for one small moment I allowed myself hope – the grand dream that maybe, just maybe, before the summer was over you'd see that there were other options for you that didn't include **her** as your happily ever after. _

_But little did I know in that room with you that night, that by waking up my long-dormant passion – the hope in **me** - I'd also awoken the beast in **her**…_

OOOOOOOOOO

"_Tonight! We are young! So let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the su-uun!"_

"Isabella," Edward smirked and turned his face away from me when I went to flip his lip. He'd gotten so good that I rarely caught him anymore. "How many times can you sing this song?"

"As many times as I can get Jake to play it!" I laughed.

Edward shook his head, but I could see a smile lurking behind the beer bottle. For the past hour or so, we'd been walking around hand in hand, making rounds among his old friends: Leah and her dry humor, Becca and her sweet creativity, Sam was just a hoot, Jess was ditsy but fun, Tanya was so beautiful she gave Rose a run for her money – not that I'd ever tell Rose that - Ben and Eric were a couple of sweeties, Seth was a softy, Paul was a cool tough guy and well, yeah…Edward was reconnecting and get this – _laughing. _Ha!

Anyway, while _he_ reconnected, _I_ played the part I was getting paid fifteen grand to play: the gracious girlfriend - hanging with him here and there, mingling, helping Hoverer, Rose and Alice hand out appetizers, and making sure Jake kept this here back yard jumpin'!

After a while I took a walk over to the Tiki Bar and _finally_ picked up a beer from Emmett – a beer which by the way would've gone great with a ciggy tonight, but life isn't perfect, is it?

Emmett clinked his bottle to mine.

"To my little brother and his pretty little girl."

"To your _manly_ brother and his hot-ass _woman_!" I roared.

He laughed and I turned around and surveyed the area. I had to admit, Hoverer had done a pretty good job with this hoedown. Paper lanterns hung from strings and trees all over the place, giving the backyard a luminescent glow in the dark of night. The pool glowed with underwater lights – making it doubly tempting on this steamy evening. Emmett and Rose had set up one mighty yummy feast for the crowd; appetizers and pastries of all kinds circulated everywhere and were set out on a pretty table by the pool and-

And speaking of Hoverer, _shit_, she was heading my way with yet _more_ people for me to meet - darn beautiful-soft-spoken-wanting-to-introduce-me-to-everyone-_Hoverer_.

I turned and tried to make my escape…

"Bella, honey, I'd like you to meet our friends, Doctor and Mrs. Tanner."

_Aha_.

I plastered a smile to my face before turning back around.

A dark haired older gentleman and his pretty - though big-eyed - wife stood opposite Esme and Carlisle.

"George, Mary, this is Edward's girlfriend, Bella Swan." Esme grinned widely - and sort of smugly I could've sworn. "She's been…a breath of fresh air so far this summer, and a huge help at planning Edward's party! We couldn't have pulled it off without her."

Say what?

We shook hands and made thirty seconds of pleasant small talk during which I spoke in full, grammatically correct sentences, maintained eye contact, squared my shoulders and stood up straight, as if I had a phone book on my head.

"Well it was nice to meet you, Bella," Mr. Tanner said – much to my relief because that pretend phone book on my head was getting pretty heavy. "I suppose we'll be seeing you with Edward at the annual Hospital Benefit next week?"

I blinked. "Oh. Yes, yes, of course. We shall see you both, shan't we?" I asked, because at some point during the conversation I seemed to have been possessed by an English princess.

They did one of those frowning-and-smiling-at-the-same-time things and then turned around – and Hoverer gave me a wink before she walked away with them.

Emmett started laughing heartily. I laughed with him, but really I was a bit confused, not only by my own British royalty impersonation, but what the heck was that intro all about anyway?

And what was this about an annual hospital benefit?

OOOOOOOOOO

I mingled – I'd found I was a really good mingler – and spent time with Edward, Jasper, Alice, Rose and Emmett. I tried my hand at deejaying with Jake but gave up on that quick-fast because Edward didn't seem to like my skills with the turntables based on the way he kept scowling at Jake and me. And since it _was_ the dude's party and I didn't want to piss him off on _his_ night, I moved away and left the scratchin' to Jake.

Cause yeah, Edward was relaxed tonight. No matter what else caught my attention, my eyes infallibly trailed back to him and his laughing.

And I wasn't the only one.

Bree, dressed in a pretty black cocktail dress that seemed just a tad bit out of place - Esme _had_ said backyard pool party, hadn't she? - had arrived with Mike tonight.

Or maybe I was still feeling just the teeny, tiniest bit bitchy since that red meat comment a couple of weeks ago.

Anyway, her pretty dress fell just above her pretty knees, and her hair was up in a pretty bun, and her make-up was all pretty and yeah, she looked overall pretty; I was woman enough to admit it.

Oh, and she kept looking at Edward.

Not overtly, mind you – just whenever she thought no one was watching. But noticing these things was my job, so yeah, I picked up on how her eyes would continuously trail to Edward. A couple of times she even caught me catching her. Then she'd just stare at _me_ for a couple of seconds before looking away. This made that strange thing in my belly flip again – like during that red meat comment.

And speaking of strange things that made me flip, in Hoverer's defense, she had asked if I'd prefer if Bree _wasn't_ invited. But I knew her parents were friends of the Cullens, and I knew OGBB had to be in full effect at all times and I _knew_ her looking at Edward so friggin' wistfully was a good thing, so it was good she was here, and it was good she kept looking.

Wasn't it?

My eyes trailed back to Edward and I must've stared hard because he looked up really suddenly and right at me and smiled and winked and there went those strange, unknown creatures dancing in the pit of my stomach. He lifted his beer bottle at me.

"_So if by the time the bar closes and you feel like falling down-"_ I cried loudly, holding my own bottle up high to him.

"_I'll carry you home tonight!" _he answered from across the yard. And then laughed and turned back to his friends.

OOOOOOOOOO

Beer count two hours into the party:

Me: Two.

Edward: Three maybe? – I wasn't sure.

Emmett and Jazz and Rose and Alice: Only God knew.

Ditto most of the rest of Edward's friends, including Mike.

(Alckies - all of them apparently - but it was all good).

Jake: Three or four and _still_ deejaying like nobody's business.

OOOOOOOOOO

Wait! Wait!

Bree's beer count: A big. Fat. Zero.

OOOOOOOOOO

A bunch of them were huddled off in a corner under one of the prettily lit up trees; Rose, Emmet, Jasper, Alice, Jess and Tanya. And since I was mingling, I sorta did this tip-toeing/leaping/skipping move I always got the urge to do during the beginning of this song, and moved closer to them, singing quietly,

"_You can be addicted to a certain kind of sadness…"_

"I don't know what she's doing but whatever it is, she needs to keep it up!" Jess cackle-slurred, resting her hand on Rose's forearm and swaying back and forth.

"Seriously, just look at him!" hot, strawberry-blonde Tanya added, eyes on Edward appreciatively. "He looks even yummier than he did back in high school!"

"What she's doing is bringing him back to life, and you both can go ahead and tell your girl Bree I said that!" Rose slurred and swayed back, beer bottle in one hand, baby monitor in the other.

"I don't know what the fuck they're doing here in the first place," Jasper growled.

"They were invited out of respect for her parents," Emmett answered solemnly.

"Parents schmarents," Alice giggled.

"It's fucking disrespectful to Bella is what it is," Jasper hissed. "She shouldn't have to look at her fucking owl face, especially after the shit she pulled."

"You guys all need to chill with this shit already," Emmett hissed quietly. "And you Jasper, need to shut it. You're drunk and not thinking and I _know_ you don't want to upset…_Bella_!" He grinned widely when he caught sight of me right behind them all, and pulled me into his huge side. "How you doing babe? Having fun?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," I grinned. "What's going on? What're you all talking about?"

Silence.

Jess's eyes turned my way and then she blurted, "Bree says you're all wrong for Edward. She says you've got him acting like a kid again. Oops!" She giggled and covered her mouth.

"Well _I_ think you're great for him," Tanya said, and then took a huge chug of beer.

"And I say the hell with acting our age! _Tonight, we are yo-ung!"_ she sang, giggling again.

Silence.

And then I burst out laughing.

"That bitch has some nerve," Rosalie hissed, "especially after what she did."

This caught my attention. "What does that mean?" I asked, my chortles dying down.

I didn't miss the way Emmett glared at her.

Rosalie sighed heavily. "I've had too much to drink, Bella. I'm going to go check on Brady."

And then she walked away, and the group sort of dispersed, except for Jess.

"_So let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter…" _Her singing died down, and I walked off.

OOOOOOOOOO

Esme and Carlisle made this sweet speech for their son, congratulating him on his bright future, and then the older Tanners as well as the rest of the older crowd called it a night and left.

"Alright guys!" Jasper howled, "It's time to really get this party pumping!"

Apparently, this little group here were old experts at partying it up once the 'rents were gone, cause Jake blasted them speakers, Emmett pulled out a keg or two, and Rose, Alice, Jess and Tanya stripped out of their pretty cover-ups and hightailed it to the pool.

"Come on, Bella!" Alice called out, waving me in.

And having been eyeing that pool all night – well, in between eyeing Edward – she didn't have to ask me twice. I walked to the edge of the pool and pushed my black cover-up down and off.

"Woo-hoo! It's time for some water volleyball up in this bee-yotch!" I called out.

A pair of warm arms suddenly circled my waist. If the familiar scent hadn't alerted me to who it was, those freaky sparks would've done the trick. I grinned and turned my head sideways, but when my eyes landed on Edward's face my grin faltered.

The green eyes blazed, but different than I'd ever seen them. His jaw was clenched tight.

_Sooo_ uber-kegelicious.

"Do me a favor Isabella and get in the water right now."

"I was going to-"

"Right. Now."

My brows furrowed, but before I could ask what was going on Edward took my hand and led me in, past the waist-high water and deeper and deeper until only my head and shoulders stuck out.

"Hey Edward," I looked at him curiously, "are you going to play volleyball with us?"

"What? Oh yeah, yeah. Sure, I'll play." He looked irritated as he ran a hand through his hair.

Still, I clapped and hopped up and down so excitedly that Edward had to hold me in place. Most of Edward's friends stripped down to their bathing suits and swim trunks and joined us in the huge pool - except for Bree and Mike and a couple others. And yeah, the truth was I was perfectly fine with that, especially after what Jess had said earlier.

Yes, I was feeling bitchy again. But see, therein lay the problem.

I didn't _want_ to dislike Bree. My job wasn't to dislike Bree. _My_ job was to be Edward's pretend girlfriend and make myself available to him at all times to carry out OGBB. Disliking Bree had _never_ been part of the job description. Disliking Bree would only complicate matters.

So in the interest of OGBB, I smiled and looked up at Bree.

"Hey Bree, if you want to play with us, I've got an extra bathing suit you can borrow." Under the water, Edward gripped my hand so hard I was sure he'd cut off my circulation.

She stared at me for a few seconds. "Thanks, Isabella, but I'm okay."

I shrugged and went on with it. Hey, I'd tried.

We played guys against girls, but Edward, obviously distracted and annoyed, played a mean game of volleyball – and by mean I mean he was a vicious fucker with that ball! Not against us girls, but against his own team. The back of Jake's head met one of Edward's overhand spikes with a loud thump on more than one occasion. Even Sam fell victim to a particularly ferocious bad serve by Edward. And at one point, when Edward's eyes flashed up to Bree and Mike, his jaw clenched down so tight and he gripped the volleyball so fiercely that I was momentarily frightened he'd serve it against Mike's face. See, apparently Mike was a few sheets to the wind, based on how fucking funny he found our game of volleyball, and when he started hugging and kissing all over Bree, miss prim and proper _giggled, _eating it all up.

And then she looked at Edward and smiled.

She fucking _smiled!_

Edward walked over to me, stony-faced. "I'm done with volleyball. I'm going to get us some towels. Please stay in the water until I come back." His tone was hard, so I just nodded. The guy was in a super pissed off mood and I didn't want to add to it. So much for all the laughter before.

"She _so_ did that shit on purpose," Jess snort-whispered next to me once Edward left. I hadn't realized anyone other than me had been keeping track of the drama. "Not that I'm saying Edward cares one way or the other what she and Mike do," she added quickly, "but she sees how Edward is with you - all touchy-feely," she giggled.

"But from what I've heard," I said quietly, "she was never one for touchy-feely."

"Bree's _never_ known what she wanted. She didn't want touchy-feely until it was all she wanted." Jess rolled her eyes, sneering.

I stared at her, unsure if I wanted to keep hearing this, but unable - and maybe a little unwilling - to remind Jess that she was drunk and advise her to shut it.

She sighed. "Bree told me a couple of months ago, that Mike excited her. Made her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time with Edward."

"_Mike_ excited her more than _Edward_?" I snorted.

Jess shrugged, looking quickly between Mike, and then Edward's retreating form, all wet and toned and beautiful. "Who knows what goes through that girl's head?" she muttered almost to herself. And then the volleyball came flying towards her and she shrieked and moved away.

OOOOOOOOOO

When Alice found me thirty seconds later I was behind the tree line, right past the white cabana, walking a straight line, heel-to-toe.

"Bella, what are you doing?"

I balanced on one leg. "I'm giving myself a quick sobriety test."

She was quiet for five seconds. "A what?"

"A sobriety test," I repeated while following the movement of my finger from side to side.

Silence again. "_Why_?"

"I want to make sure I'm not drunk." I touched my index finger to my nose first with my right hand and then with my left.

"_Why_?" she giggled.

"I need to make sure I'm sober for what I'm about to do."

"What are you about to do?" she chuckled.

I sighed, and fully satisfied with my sobriety, gripped Alice's shoulders.

"Mary Alice Brandon, I need you to do me a favor," I whispered urgently.

"Sure," she giggled again.

"I need you to count to one hundred, and then bring Bree over by the cabana."

"What? Why?"

"Because this here game is on!"

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

The party had started the way these thing tend to start, I suppose.

When I'd picked Isabella up and flung her over my shoulder, I'd felt strangely relaxed and at the same time…_invigorated_ by the day I'd spent with her. By her constant laughing and teasing and taunting. It felt…good. Great even.

And having her perfectly plump ass so close to my face as I ran with her towards the pool wasn't exactly a downer by any means.

So the last thing I'd expected as I carried her yelling and screaming were the faces that had met me, or the yell of "Surprise!" from everyone.

Including Bree.

The sight of her made my heart jump and my stomach churn and my chest ache – all at once.

But ever-aware of our charade, Isabella grabbed my hand, and together we made our rounds. I introduced her to everyone I hadn't seen in a while as my girlfriend, surprised by how natural it felt to say that after just one short month. What didn't surprise me anymore was how quickly and easily everyone seemed to take to her, despite – or maybe because of – her quirky ways.

By the time I was done introducing her to all my friends, my mom had taken her around and introduced her to some of my parent's friends – much to Isabella's obvious annoyance. I laughed as I watched her, huffing and pouting every time Esme came for her. Then she'd go and make her own rounds, dancing goofily from crowd to crowd while every once in a while bringing her eyes to me. That was the thing about Isabella. She didn't cling. She didn't demand. She took care of herself, entertained herself, sang out loud, lived her life. And watching her enjoy it was making me see my life in a totally different way.

Yeah, Bree was there. But watching her – in her pretty-yet-too-formal black dress, standing with her boyfriend Mike - was just fucking depressing, and I didn't feel like being depressed tonight. Tonight, I wanted to feel whole again. I'd figure things out with her eventually.

So tonight, I chose to watch Isabella instead.

OOOOOOOOOO

The problems that night started when I realized I wasn't the only one watching Isabella.

Sam, Seth and I were standing around, bullshitting and as Isabella would say, 'enjoying the pleasures of a nice cool beer on a warm summer night.'

"So when are you going to come down to First Beach man?" Sam asked me. "We haven't seen you around there in a while."

"Maybe next time I have some time off," I offered. We clicked beer bottles. "I'll see if Isabella wants to come with me."

Seth grinned widely. "Yeah, man." He moved in closer. "Now _that_ girl looks like she knows how to appreciate some fun in the sun," he chuckled. His eyes moved purposely behind us, where Bree stood with Mike. I didn't answer.

Just then, we heard a squeal followed by loud laughter. The squeal I instantly recognized as Isabella's and the laughter as Jake's. When I turned around I realized why the song currently playing sounded so…strange. Isabella stood by the deejay table, big headphones over ears, bouncing up and down and scratching the turntables – and Jake stood behind, one arm on either side of her, "teaching" her.

Something knotted in my stomach – something a lot tighter than I'd felt all night.

Isabella looked up suddenly, and her eyes met mine. She laughed and gave me a thumbs up, but for the first time all night, I couldn't get myself to smile back at her. Her brows furrowed at the same time that Jake looked up. He met my eyes and though I'm not sure what he saw in mine, I knew exactly what I saw in his.

Jake whispered something in Isabella's ear, and then she nodded and handed him back his headphones and danced away.

"Edward?"

Sam had apparently been saying something to me.

"I'm sorry, what'd you say, Sam?"

He frowned curiously. "I was asking if…" he started again, but once more I tuned him out, because I was too busy wondering what the hell had just come over me.

OOOOOOOOOO

Jake joined Sam and Seth and me a few minutes later. We clicked beer bottles.

"Enjoying your party, man?" Jake grinned.

"Yeah." I grinned back, because I'd known Jake since we were kids. I knew him better than I'd ever really known Mike. Jake was no Mike and Isabella…Isabella was not Bree and besides - I thought to myself quickly - it was a totally different situation.

Wasn't it?

"It's actually…good to see everyone again."

"Yeah," Jake agreed. "It's been a while since we all got together like this."

I nodded. Jake took a drink from his bottle.

"Bells said you'd enjoy it, though I wasn't so sure. I guess she was right."

And just like that, there went the knot in my stomach again. "I suppose _Isabella_ knows me well."

He watched me. "I suppose _Isabella _does."

We held each other's gaze. "So Jake, how are things going with that nurse you were kicking it to the other day?"

He chuckled. "Alright, I suppose. She's taking me to the benefit next week."

"That sounds promising."

"Guess it does." His eyes trailed to his beer bottle and he just sort of turned it over and over. "So are you going?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure it's something Isabella would enjoy."

His dark eyes shot back up to mine, and he grinned, one of those grins he'd been giving me since we were kids and I'd said something he found to be full of shit.

He snorted. "Maybe you don't know Isabella as well as she seems to know you."

My nostrils flared. "I know Isabella better than anyone here, Jake."

We stood stiffly, hardened shoulder to hardened shoulder. Abruptly Jake's posture yielded. "I'm happy for you man," he finally said. "I really am." He patted my shoulder and walked away.

OOOOOOOOOO

It was once my parents' friends left and Esme and Carlisle went back into the house that the real shit hit the fan.

Jasper yelled something about getting the party started, and then, like we used to do when we were kids, Em pulled out the kegs and the rest of us got ready.

Most of the girls jumped into the lit and heated pool, except for Bree because she'd never liked nighttime swims. She used to say it was too cold here in Forks for that, and while I could see how that could've been true most summers, this one was turning out to be much steamier, by far.

Thinking of hot, steamy summers made my eyes search for Isabella.

She was standing by the ledge of the pool, her back to me.

"Woohoo! It's time for some water volleyball up in this bee-yotch!"

I chuckled, and around me I could hear everyone else chuckling too at Isabella's colorful ways.

But then she dropped her cover-up, and to this day I maintain that for the next fifteen seconds, the only sounds were those of the crickets chirping quietly high up in the trees.

Isabella stood there in her tiny red bikini with strings by the neck and back and thighs - and her perfect breasts stood round and pert up front while her plump ass lay barely covered in the back.

And every. single. mother-fucking male eye in the back yard rested on either those tits or that ass – or a combination of the two.

And yes, the fucking blood boiled in my veins. The knot in my stomach tightened to the point where I could barely see straight as I stalked over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist to cover her ass with my body. She looked up at me, grinning.

"Do me a favor Isabella and get in the water right now."

Her grin faltered. "I was going to-"

"Right. Now," I hissed, and then without waiting for a response – because every second of delay was a free show to these assholes – I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the water, deeper and deeper until all that these motherfuckers could hope to see were her shoulders.

Isabella looked up at me questioningly. I mean, how could she possibly not be aware? Whenever I'd walked around with Bree in a bathing suit, it'd been different. I mean, yes, Bree had a nice body, but she was built so differently from Isabella. Smaller…easily contained...

But Isabella…

I exhaled through narrowed nostrils, watching her. It was time for her to go buy herself her own goddamned two-piece. I knew this one had been Alice's at one point, but Alice was tiny and while Isabella was petite and had the smallest waist I'd ever seen, all this only served to accentuate her delicious curves.

"Hey Edward, are you going to play volleyball with us?" she asked, innocently looking up at me through those dark brown eyes and long eyelashes.

And while what I really wanted to do was pull her out of the pool and make her go put on a fucking moomoo, I knew that shit wouldn't fly, so I agreed to stay. Good thing too, because she started bouncing up and down and her breasts bounced with her and I swear to God when I looked up Jake looked about ready to pass out. I gritted my teeth and placed my hands on her shoulders, holding her in place.

Ever conscientious of our agreement, I heard Isabella ask Bree to join us, but of course, Bree turned her down.

We played guys against girls, but it was so fucking hard to concentrate when all these assholes could do was look at the way Isabella's breasts bounced in and out of the water whenever she went for the ball. More than once, I had to snap fucking Jake out of it with a spiked ball to the head. Even Sam had to be taught to keep his eyes on the goddamned ball.

It was, by far, not the most sportsmanlike game of volleyball I'd ever played.

When at one point I looked up at Bree and Mike – who were by the way being pretty obnoxious with their own bullshit – and saw the way Mike's drunk eyes trailed down to Isabella's body appreciatively, I knew I'd had enough because if I didn't get Isabella out of this pool and covered up soon, the night would be ending with me sending more than one motherfucker to the hospital – not a good idea since I was supposed to be keeping people out of the ER, not sending them in.

"I'm done with volleyball. I'll go get us some towels. Please stay in the water until I come back."

I knew I sounded like an asshole right now, just as bad as I'd been when I'd first met Isabella about a month ago, but I couldn't help how…pissed off I felt. I mean, yeah, I realized Isabella wasn't really my girlfriend, but I was the _only_ one in the entire town of Forks who knew this. Shouldn't every male fucker in this town have had the respect to keep their eyes off her regardless of how distracting she was with that body and wild hair and glowing skin and contagious laughter? And Isabella was going to have to learn to cover up those beautiful breasts better. They were way too distracting for their own good.

And for mine.

So I stalked over to the cabana and slammed the door shut behind me. Here, in the dark, I lowered my forehead to the wall and finally took a few deep breaths.

_Calm down, Cullen. Calm down. She's not **really** your girlfriend. You **can't** feel this possessive over her. It won't help anything to-_

I heard the door open behind me and turned around quickly.

There was Isabella in her tiny red bikini and wavy hair and wide eyes, anxious and excited all at once.

"Isabella, I thought I asked you to-"

She rushed me then, grabbing my shoulders and pinning me against the wall.

"Oomph! Isabella, what are you-"

"Edward, do you trust me?" she breathed, eyes bright and sparkling.

"Yes," I answered, surprising myself with how quickly I'd responded. "Of course, but what-"

"And you know that everything I do, I do because I want to help you," she blurted quickly.

"Yes," I said more slowly. "But what-"

"I'm not drunk, Edward. I gave myself a sobriety test."

Ignoring the fact that a drunk person wouldn't actually be able to perform a valid self sobriety exam, I nodded slowly, because I'd been observing her all night and though I had seen her have a couple of beers, I didn't think she appeared inebriated by them.

"Okay," I agreed. "You're not drunk. What does this-"

"Are _you_ drunk?" she interrupted again.

I shook my head slowly. I'd had a few beers, and while true it'd been a while, I'd once been able to chug'em down with the best of them. I was nowhere near drunk.

She sighed, closing her eyes before opening them back up quickly.

"You trust me, I trust you. I'm not drunk, and you're not drunk. And what we do, we do because we have an agreement and I truly want to help you."

"Alright, Isabella," I grinned indulgently, "we've established all that. Now will you please tell-"

She grabbed my head then, and her mouth was on mine and those freaking sparks were flying before I could think, but when I instinctively placed my hands on her waist lightly she plunged her hot tongue deep into my mouth - and all bets were off.

There are no words, to this day, for what that felt like.

It wasn't sparks. It was flames licking up and down my body while her tongue licked up and down and all around inside my mouth and against my tongue. My hands no longer held her lightly but grabbed and gripped at that plump ass possessively as our mouths crashed and tongues explored and Jesus it was so hard to keep quiet knowing there were handfuls of people outside that would be able to hear us.

"Isabella…" I managed to breathe, "Bella...what are we doing?"

"You trust me, right?"

"Yes," I groaned quietly, biting her lower lip. "Yes, I trust you."

"Do you like kissing me like this? Does it excite you?"

I was too disconcerted by her perfect mouth and tongue and ass to think straight. "Yes, yes. But there are people outside-"

"So what?" she whispered, nipping my mouth, licking my lips. "So what if there are people outside? They're not in here with us, Edward. Just let go. _Let go_," she breathed into my mouth.

Then she dropped her hands from my face, and wrapped one around my neck, pulling me in closer. And the next thing I felt was her warm hand snake inside my wet swim trunks, wrapping itself around my hardened cock.

And hell yes, I groaned. Really fucking loud.

* * *

**A/N: So fanfiction has made it even easier for you guys to leave reviews - just type'em in at the bottom! I love it! Go ahead, let me know what you're thinking. I am _sooo_ enjoying reading your thoughts, almost as much as not-so-Uptightward's enjoying himself at the moment!**

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	11. Chapter 11 The Job

**A/N: Happy 236****th**** birthday America! **

**I'm a bit late with the posting today, but as some of you may have read on facebook, my doggy just got diagnosed with epilepsy. She had a few seizures this weekend, and so between that and a few other things, life has been hectic at the Pattyrose household. But considering where we left off last chapter, I didn't want to leave you all hanging (no pun intended) without any update at all, so though Edward's PoV for chapter 11 is still in the works, below is Bella's PoV, which I hope you all will like. :)**

**Also, in my first draft to this chapter, I had this long-ass rant regarding some comments an anonymous reviewer left on this story, and I suspect over on ToH as well. Since I've stopped pms-ing and now have a clearer mind, I've deleted my rant and just want to remind everyone that there is a fine line between constructive criticism and just being bitchy. If you truly hate this story, I totally understand if you stop reading, but no, you can't burn it off the internet. And to my thoughtful readers, I love you too and don't worry, it'll take more than one or two silly people to push me out. :)**

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing for me and for getting as riled up as I was last week!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter 11 – The **_**Job**_

* * *

**BPoV**

"_It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." _

_Those were more words of wisdom from Jamie. How he came up with that one I have no idea, but unfortunately, he was wrong once again. Because though I suppose that yeah, okay, I sort of provoked her - in typical me form I stepped things up a notch and then ran with it – no matter how __**I**__ played the game, the end result was really what mattered. _

_So I'll leave it up to you to determine who – at the end of the game – was more wrong than the other. But I won't apologize. Not for any of it. Because you can't deny that in the end, she gave as good as she got. Funny I almost admire her._

OOOOOOOOOO

You know how they say that you should _never_ touch a live wire because the current that it sends flowing through your body might kill you? And that if you do touch one, all your muscles contract to the point where it becomes _impossible_ to loosen your grip and let go?

Well that's _exactly_ how it happens; trust me. Because I _swear_ I just meant to give it a quick touch.

One little teeny-tiny squeeze – _just_ enough to make him let go of his inhibitions and give me a really good groan. I just wanted some noise that would remind Bree how exciting Edward really could be - a sound that would travel through the thin cabana walls, from Edward's mouth and straight into her hopefully waiting ears.

But here's what I _hadn't_ counted on –how friggin' _good_ it would feel to have him in the palm of my hand – literally - or how absolutely delicious _his_ hands would feel on my ass. I'd also neglected to consider what his sounds would do to _me_. And I hadn't figured on my pelvic muscles contracting _way _beyondkegels, taking control of every other muscle, making it _impossible_ for me to let go.

So yeah, I guess it was safe to say that I hadn't thought this through half as well as I should've, and that when Edward groaned into my mouth –low and guttural and from deep within his chest, so deep that I felt it vibrate and resonate in my own body – I was lost…and I moaned and grabbed him tighter.

"God, _Bella_…"

Jesus as if my brain wasn't totally befuddled as it was, he was choosing _now_ to call me 'Bella'?

D.E.A.D – Me.

Yes, I'd touched the livewire, and now I was being electrocuted.

So I can't be blamed for what happened after that. I mean, would _you_ blame an electrocution victim for loss of muscle control? Would _you_ tell that poor soul, "You should've just let go?" Especially if that livewire was as big and hard and thick as the rod I currently had my hand wrapped around? And then there were those darn freaky sparks; I blame them too, damn it. I'm sure they contributed to the situation somehow. My poor hand simply reacted the way any other poor hand in that situation would've reacted…by holding on tight and slowly moving up and down Edward's very hard - and very erect shaft.

There went another groan, even louder than the last one.

And there I went moaning right back into his mouth.

Our kisses grew slow and languid and deliciously sloppy, you know, the way they tend to do when you can't concentrate; tongues dancing slowly around each other, tips meeting and tasting - that kind of yummy stuff? And all the while Edward groaned beautifully while my hand just went up and down, tightening when it reached the base, loosening at the tip.

"Bella…" Edward breathed, throwing his head back against the wall, eyes closed. "Bella, what are we doing?" he asked breathlessly, but even as he asked his own hands squeezed and molded my backside between his fingers while his hips jerked against my hand, seeking friction.

"Just let yourself go," I murmured, kissing his lips softly. "Don't think about it."

He groaned again, one of those long, deep groans, his head writhing from side to side, hips swaying back and forth, and Jesus I was never gonna be able to let go if he kept making those sounds and those faces.

"But Bella…"

"Shh," I kissed him, "trust me. It's okay. We'll be okay."

But even as I said it, even as my hand made its route from top to bottom, squeezing and playing with his balls, twirling the moisture at the tip, even as I heard Edward's unintelligible cries of pleasure and assent and hoped that Alice had done her job and the woman who'd had the fucking _nerve_ to verbalize her thoughts that Mike could _ever_ be more exciting than Edward was just outside listening to how exciting, how thrilling, and how sensual Edward really was - something else nipped at the back of my mind.

_This_ was ours. This moment belonged to me and Edward. I was giving this to him for _him_. And okay, maybe for me too cause hell knows I was enjoying the fuck out of it.

Did _she_ really deserve to witness this? Was she worthy enough to hear his groans of lust and want, when she'd thrown them away? Did she merit a reminder of how exciting Edward really was?

He groaned again, biting his lip and sucking in a huge gust of air, and I gazed at him while images of him and me during the past month danced around in my head like little sugarplums. And suddenly, along with the heat in my crotch, I also felt this crazy warmth in my chest, and I wanted him to fall apart _so badly_. Not so that Bree could hear him and know what she was missing out on, but because he _deserved_ this. This beautiful, sweet, tender and confusing man deserved the best friggin' hand job any woman could give.

So I gave it to him.

And for a split second, for the teeny tiniest moment, I wished…I wanted to give him more.

"It's okay," I repeated, kissing him tenderly while his hips gyrated and he held on tight to my ass. "Let yourself enjoy it, Edward. It's okay."

When he came with jerky spasms, he propelled himself deeper into my hand, gripping my backside almost painfully. And when I whimpered it wasn't from discomfort, but because God how could anyone have ever thought someone could come better than Edward? How could anyone ever have thrown this – thrown _him_ - away?

We rested against each other while our breathing regulated. And then all at once I felt breathless; claustrophobic and tried to pull away, but Edward grabbed my hand, pulling me back to him.

"Bella," he murmured, "what was that-"

But I couldn't. Not then because my mind was swimming. I couldn't focus, so I put a finger over his soft lips. "Shh," I coaxed, "I'll explain later, okay? Just…clean yourself up and come back out."

We held each other's gaze, and then he nodded once and thankfully let me go.

Strange…I'm not sure what exactly I'd expected walking out of that cabana, but apparently not much had changed in the world during the ten minutes or so that Edward and I had been locked in there. Trees were still green, the night sky was still black, and water was still a liquid…

So why did _I_ feel so different?

I looked around and most people appeared to have been unaware of me and Edward's little escapade. Yet there were those that weren't as obvious as Emmett and Rose, sitting by the pool and grinning knowingly at me. From across the yard Jasper raised his beer bottle at me, laughing. Jess and Tanya were inside the pool, whispering to each other and giggling, and when I caught their eyes they broke out into fits and pointed, both doing drunken fist pumps in the air.

And _her…_I felt more than saw her watching me just a few feet away, by the side of the cabana - just like I'd instructed Alice. So when I turned, there she was, simply staring at me through startlingly huge eyes, dainty little nostrils flaring. Her lips were drawn in a tight, angry line.

Yup, whatever this game was, it had definitely just been upped a notch.

To this day, I still don't know if I should've or not, but I went ahead and arched a challenging brow at her that said it all. _Alright Doctor Tanner,_ _I see your giggling and groping and raise you a hand job_.

"Having fun, Isabella?" she inquired, both of us knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"Quite a _load _of it actually," I answered. And then – call it dark inspiration, frustration, payback for the red meat comment, hell call it pettiness if you must – I proceeded to raise my right hand to my mouth and carefully and thoroughly lick the tips of every single finger on it. "Literally," I giggled.

And Bree, being the prim and proper lady that she was, simply glared at me for a few seconds, but I saw the fire in her un-proportionately large eyes. They sent their own message.

Yeah, the gloves were off now.

OOOOOOOOOO

It took a couple of hours to clean up after everyone left, what with the goh-zillions of beers Edward's alckie friends had gone through. Honestly part of me just wanted to escape to my room and leave it all for Hoverer deal with in the morning. But who were we kidding? I wouldn't be sleeping tonight anyway with all the strange thoughts going through my head. I needed to keep busy.

Once we were mostly done I dove into the pool and started doing laps, trying to clear my mind and psych myself up for the convo I knew was coming. I knew Edward wasn't going to let me slide without an explanation, so I swam back and forth, trying to think and not think all at once. During one of my laps I reached the ledge of the pool and was met by Edward, squatting in front of me, waiting. Everyone had left and it was just he and I.

I surfaced completely, pushing my wet hair back while we sorta just stared at each other for a while.

Then I burst out laughing.

Because see, that's how Edward and I always cleared up any tension between us – and I'd tongued down and given the dude a hand job for the love of god. I think that qualified as a tense moment.

He chuckled and shook his head, the muscles in his legs and stomach contracting with his laughter.

"Why are you laughing, Bella?" he smirked, but the softness in his green eyes belied the face. "You and I need to have a serious conversation here."

I rolled my eyes. He sighed.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about now?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

I drew in a deep breath and exhaled, frustrated. "Fine. It was a strategic move in regards to OGBB."

He snorted. "What in the world did that have to do with OGBB?"

"She heard you, Edward," I blurted. Unable to hold his gaze, I stared at the circles I was drawing in the water with one finger. "She heard…_us_."

He was silent for a while, while I kept drawing circle after circle in the warm, clear water.

"Did you…plan it that way?" he finally asked.

I nodded, still not meeting his eyes, but out of my periphery I could see him raking his hand down his face. He sighed. "I wish…you would've told me first."

"Would you have let me-"

"No."

We were silent; the only sound was that of the drops of water that moved around me. He kept rubbing his forehead hard with the tips of his fingers.

"So you're mad at me now," I stated.

He inhaled deep before letting it out in a slow breath. "No, Bella, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself."

I made myself look up at him then and could clearly see the guilt in his drawn brows, in his darkened eyes. "Why? You feel guilty because she heard you enjoying yourself like that?"

But I stopped myself before I said any more. I didn't want to say what I was really thinking. Pointing out Bree's shortcomings wasn't my job, and somehow I felt like every time I did, I was dangling over a precarious cliff.

"No, Bella," he said tiredly, leaving his forehead alone and running his hand through his wild hair now. "It's…strange, but I don't feel guilty about that." He looked away from me and beyond, into the blackness of the tree line behind us. "I don't…owe her that, do I?" he said slowly. "At least not now." His eyes came back to me. "I'm mad at myself…because I don't want you to think that I would ever take advantage of you…of the…_friendship_ we have."

I suddenly felt this peculiarly sharp pain in my chest, but I smiled through it.

"Hey, you didn't take advantage of anyone. If anything," I grinned wryly, "_I_ took advantage of _you_."

"That was definitely _not_ taking advantage of me," he chuckled, looking down sheepishly. When his eyes met mine again, there was an intensity in them that made my heart jump.

He swallowed thickly. "Bella…you know you're the most…special part of my life right now, don't you?"

I simply shrugged, too mesmerized to say anything while I gazed at him.

"Well you are," he said softly. "I just…" – he huffed – "I want to make sure I don't do anything that'll ruin our friendship."

And there went that strange stab of pain again.

Edward's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. "You're my best friend, Bella. I don't want to lose that."

Funny how it took three times – three times! – for me to finally get it. For me to see what was causing that startling pain. I almost gasped aloud at the realization.

It was that word he kept using; that simple, innocuous word: _friend_.

Edward and I were friends, and if things worked out this summer the way they were supposed to, the way I'd agreed to…that's all we'd ever be.

_Jesus_, what had I done?

But I held his gaze and grinned, even as that realization dawned on me, even as the possibility that I might want more than that weighed down my chest. I ignored the thousands of confusing thoughts running through my brain and grinned up at him.

"Hey, it was just a hand job," I joked. "What's a little hand action between friends?"

Friends. FRIENDS! - my brain screamed wickedly.

He chuckled again, shaking his head.

"So we're good then, Bella?"

I looked into his sea-green eyes. Eyes I'd probably looked into hundreds of times already in the past month, and while they'd always mesmerized me, while I'd always thought they were beautiful, I'd always been able to picture the day when I'd be off somewhere in Tuscany, gazing up at "The David" and simply comparing his eyes to these.

But now, standing here in this pool on this hot, humid night, I couldn't imagine a day when I wouldn't be able to gaze into them anymore. And the thought of that day coming suddenly terrified me…

Oh Jesus, I had to get away from him - now. I had to clear my mind of Edward and his eyes and his beautiful smile and how funny he could really be and how sweet he really was and how hard he'd felt in my hands. I had to think.

"Yeah, we're good," I smirked. "Now help me outta this pool. I'm so exhausted I may sleep 'til noon tomorrow, and then who will poor Hoverer have to hover over during breakfast?"

He laughed and pulled me up, and although I'd been dealing with those freaky sparks for a month now, even those felt different, even they were conspiring to show me how stupid I'd been to agree to this.

We gazed at each other, hand in hand, and out of nowhere another strange tension filled the air, only this time I had no laughter left in me – I wasn't going to be able to dissolve it. But Edward was learning.

He chuckled. "So since it was just a hand job between friends, Bella, what are the chances that-"

I smirked. "Not gonna happen again, Cullen." I turned and walked away, calling out, "Good night!"

He was still chuckling behind me. "Good night, Bella."

God, I needed Jamie right then.

* * *

**A/N: So love hearing from you guys. Please let me know what you're thinking…**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**TWCS: prose817**

**Link to Facebook group for my stories is on my profile.**


	12. Ch 12 & the Dream

**A/N: Alright guys. Here's the other half to last chapter, but rather than calling it Ch. 11 part 2 or something confusing like that, let's just call it Ch. 12. We'll go back to regular EPoV and BPoV chapters next update.**

**Also, if anyone knows what the heck is going on with fanfic and why they're not sending out notifications, can you please let me know? **

**A super special thanks to my Beta, Michelle Renker Rhodes, for helping me flush out my ideas for this chapter here. Edward's walking a fine line now and Michelle played a super part in helping me find that line.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter 12 - …& the Dream**

* * *

**EPoV**

It was what you called a recurring dream - and over the years, I'd had this particular one at least a dozen times.

I was standing by the cliffs in La Push, looking up at the crater-spotted full moon that shone over the dark, swaying trees. The sounds of owls and crickets - a wolf in the distance - filled my ears, while a cool breeze touched my skin. The river flowed quietly down below; rhythmic waves advanced and retreated against the rocks. They happened to match the rhythm of the mouth that kept advancing and retreating along my length.

I looked down and groaned at the sight before me. The silver light of the moon clearly illuminated shining brown hair cascading loosely in front of my bare thighs, while ivory hands wrapped around me and moved up and down in sync with pink pouty lips.

I'd always assumed it was Bree. Oral sex had never been her thing, so it was only natural that my subconscious would create a fantasy where not only was I getting one mind-fucking blow job, but I was getting it by the very cliffs where I'd first gotten my biggest kicks. My subconscious was apparently quite poetic that way.

I reached down and lost my hands in her soft, wavy hair, ignoring the fact that Bree's hair had always been stick straight because hey, I was getting head here; small details like wavy hair were secondary. So I threw my head back and gazed at the glowing moon and stars, while my hands moved forward and cradled her head, encouraging her perfect movements. In my recurring fantasy the girl never looked up, but I could feel her beauty under my fingers and when she moaned, as if she were enjoying what she was doing to me as much as I was, it sent the best vibrations up and along my penis.

But this time, something changed in the dream.

Though I was enjoying the mouth on me probably more than I ever had, suddenly the secondary details seemed more important. When I traced her features with my fingers they felt…different than what I would've expected from my long-time girlfriend. The eyes felt…smaller, the nose…soft with a sweet tilt at the end, her lips…plump and pouty - much plumper than Bree's thinner lips had ever felt – and so damn familiar…

All at once, I _had_ to see her, so I reached down and carefully tilted her chin up to meet me and the fascinating thing is that I wasn't even surprised by the deep amber eyes that met mine - or by the perfect nose, or by the pouty lips, or even by the impish smirk she gave through a mouthful of me. I wasn't even startled when I smirked back and she tried to reach up and flip my lip, still sucking away. And when she laughed - that deep, beautiful throaty laugh of hers – I saw stars again. Not in the sky, and not just because of the tingling it sent up and down my cock, but because of the way her laughter made my heart soar - in a way it never had.

I sat up all at once, panting. My heart raced in my chest and my penis throbbed painfully, but when you're a single guy waking up all alone in the middle of the night after dreaming of the best head ever, there's only one thing left to do; I jumped out of bed, headed straight for the bathroom and there, with Bella's name on my lips, her face behind my closed eyes and the feel of her hands and mouth in my mind, I took care of business over the white porcelain sink.

When I was done, I rested my head against the medicine chest, waiting for my breathing to return to normal.

"_Bella, Bella, Bella_."

It'd been two days, and I still hadn't managed to get my mind off of that hand job. And now apparently my subconscious had added her mouth to the mix.

I groaned – no longer out of pleasure but out of frustration – and banged my head against the medicine chest a couple of times, but as soon as I closed my eyes, there we were – in that dark cabana, moaning into each other's mouths, her warm hands around me, playing and caressing…

_Mmm_ and her kisses…fuck her kisses had been so good…sweet and sexy all at once…her tongue so moist and soft…_mmm_…and her ass…holy Jesus her ass…I grinned to myself.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck FUCK!

My eyes snapped open. What was I doing? What was I dreaming? What the hell was I _thinking_ jerking off to Bella? She was my _friend_ for the love of God - my best friend in so many ways when all was said and done. Because even though I'd only known her for a short period of time, I'd shared things with her I'd never shared with anyone in my life. Our relationship was the best thing that had happened to me -in a long while.

And I was fucking it all up now-

ever since that hand job…

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I muttered again, banging my head harder.

Why the HELL had I allowed that to happen?

Oh yeah, because as soon as her tongue had found its way into my mouth I'd been a goner even though it completely went against the promise I'd made to her and to myself regarding not crossing the line. Well that fucking line had been crossed, hopped, fucking jumped over now, and I had no one to blame but myself.

Yeah sure, there was no denying that hand job had been the best one of my entire life, but it hadn't been worth degrading her. Because regardless of what she said, that's what I'd done. I'd taken advantage of our agreement and degraded the friendship we'd created. I hadn't even stopped to think of what her reasons for initiating something like that would be, and if she ever got the slightest inkling of even half of the things we'd been doing in my dreams since that night, hell she wouldn't even wait for the summer to be over; she'd be outta here with the first willing logger to cross her path. I cringed against the mirror, my chest tightening because the thought of her leaving…

I stood up straight. No. It was time to get back on track and stop thinking these things, to stop thinking about _her_. Besides, Bella wasn't interested in anything beyond friendship, and her friendship was _everything_ right now. I wasn't about to risk it because one night in a cabana followed by some lusty dreams had left me hot and bothered and out of sorts. The cabana incident had been a means to an end, and there was absolutely no point in thinking about it, or analyzing it, anymore. As far as she was concerned, she'd just been doing her job, and once her job was over she'd be outta here and off to Tuscany. _That_ was the plan. _That_ was _her_ dream.

I mean yeah sure, I was attracted to her. Yes, I cared about her. Yes, I thought she was beautiful, smart, honest, funny, sexy as all hell, thrilling, mysterious, tender, etc… and if it wasn't for the fact that Bree and I had once had a history-

I mean, that we _still_ had a history. That's what I meant. _Still_. Because we did.

Didn't we?

OOOOOOOOOO

Later that day, I was in the hospital cafeteria eating a turkey burger and baked sweet potato fries and trying not to think too much while at the same time looking forward to Bella arriving. I wanted to show her how I'd so cleverly substituted red meat with ground turkey for our lunch burgers - which really meant I was psyching myself up for what was sure to be dissent on an epic scale because Bella liked her red meat.

At some point between three a.m. this morning and the time when I'd arrived at the hospital, I'd decided that admitting my extreme attraction to Bella to _myself_ was the first step in getting back on track. So I'd admitted it. But though there was no point in denying it, there were so many reasons to restrain that attraction, not the least being that to her, this was just a job, a summer gig of sorts, to get her to her next destination. And yes, the thought of her leaving after the summer was over admittedly made my chest ache, but I reminded myself that this was what we'd agreed on. Bella was a wanderer, a free spirit, whereas I…well I wasn't. And neither was Bree. Bree and I were the same, and that's how it was meant to be.

Wasn't it?

Fuck. I closed my eyes and sighed, stuffing a fry in my mouth and chewing on it methodically. Now wasn't the time or place to think about this. In about five minutes, Bella would be strolling in, wearing one of her stretchy tank tops and short shorts or one of those bohemian skirts she liked to wear. I hoped her food wouldn't get cold because Bella really hated cold fries and yes, my heart raced with anticipation at seeing her and-

"Hi, Edward."

I looked up, slightly surprised because I'd been so wrapped up in my turkey burger and Bella that I hadn't noticed Bree moving my way. She stood in front of me now, food tray in tow.

"Hey, Bree."

I hadn't really given much thought in the past couple of days to what the next step in regards to _her_ would be, only as it related to the confusion surrounding Bella. Besides, with how…conservative Bree had always been, I was sure she'd probably be disgusted with what she must've heard during the cabana hand job incident, at the very least too uncomfortable to face me. With everything else running through my head though, I hadn't had a chance to figure out how to get past that.

But here she was, standing over me and strangely enough…_smiling_.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked pleasantly.

"Uhm…no, of course not, but I'm waiting for Bella…"

"Well, I'll just scoot over when she gets here." She made to sit down and I stood up to pull out the chair for her, a bit confused by how…awkward this felt. My eyes traveled around the somewhat empty cafeteria, looking at the rest of the patrons, not meeting anyone's eyes and hoping no one met mine...

But Bree smiled my way widely, moving around in her seat and getting cozy.

I sat back down and grabbed a sweet potato fry. "So…where's Mike this afternoon?"

The pleasant smile remained on her face. "He's a bit busy." Her eyes moved down to my plate with an amused expression. "You're really enjoying those burgers lately, aren't you?"

I shrugged and stuck my fries in my mouth. "They're definitely satisfying."

"I'm sure they are." She chuckled and watched me eat, her cold salad pristine and untouched next to her.

I shifted in my seat and narrowed my eyes to study her. There was something…different about Bree today, besides the eerie plentiful smiles and teasing. Something I couldn't quite put a finger on. Actually, it could've been her hair – it was down for once, curled at the ends in a way I'd never seen her wear it. And she wasn't wearing one of her usual skirt suits; instead she sported a caramel toned dress, long and flowing - like the ones Bella tended to wear.

Bree looked…relaxed - and carefree for once.

"It's turkey. I'm not sure if Bella will like it though. She prefers red meat," I babbled.

"Hey, do you remember the time we went to that little restaurant in Seattle, right after we gave up red meat, and the waiter kept passing by back and forth with steaks and ribs and after about the fourth or fifth pass you jumped out of your seat and snatched the plate from him," she chuckled, "and said 'screw it, one more rack of ribs won't kill me.'"

I grinned. "As I recall, you didn't find it quite so funny at the time."

She threw her head back in laughter and I was so shocked by the action that I pushed my chair back, for a second afraid she'd gone mad. My eyes widened in surprise. "No, I guess I didn't at the time," she agreed, before sighing deeply. "Looking back on it now, I guess it was pretty funny."

I nodded slowly and moved back in. For a moment, the way she'd laughed, the way she'd sighed, it had seemed so…familiar.

"We had good times, Edward, didn't we?"

I swallowed. My muscles tensed. All at once I was consumed by an uncomfortable feeling, like I was being…dishonest somehow. I looked around the cafeteria again, feeling as if every pair of eyes was glaring at me accusingly - accusingly for what reason, I had no idea - but really no one was even glancing our way.

"It was almost ten years, Bree," I answered - because no matter what, _that_ was true.

"Ten years," she repeated, nodding carefully, big eyes intent on mine. "Ten years is a long time."

It was getting uncomfortably warm in here.

"Yes, it is," I agreed.

We held each other's gaze, but out of nowhere I abruptly felt so goddamned guilty. I broke the connection and looked down at my plate, grabbing a few more fries.

"So do you mind if I have a bite?"

I looked up at her, arching a surprised brow, once again disconcerted by this strange…different Bree. "Aren't you a vegetarian, Bree?"

"Maybe it's time to make a few changes." She held my gaze again and picked up my burger. When she took a slow bite she smiled once more, chewing carefully. "It's delicious," she giggled.

She giggled. I smiled tightly and furrowed my brows, because hearing Bree giggle was a…peculiar sound.

"Edward honey, sorry I'm late."

Bella's words sounded slightly strained, and I heard them just a couple of seconds before she wrapped her arms around my neck and put her soft lips on mine. Feeling inexplicably shady, I jumped out of my seat.

"Bella, love! I've been waiting for you!"

The smile she gave me before turning to Bree didn't quite appear to reach her eyes.

"Hi Bree. Are you joining us for lunch today?"

"Hello, Isabella," Bree grinned. "Actually, I only had a few minutes. I have to be getting back now." She wiped her hands and stood up, eyeing Bella's tray of food. "By the way, make sure you try your turkey burger. It's delicious. Edward told me all about how you don't like turkey, but I had a taste of his and trust me, he's lucky he's getting it back," she chuckled.

Bella blinked, and I could've sworn the temperature in this cafeteria dropped by about thirty degrees in one point five seconds. "Really?" she asked. "You think that burger was good, you should've tasted the steak we had at the Piazza del Campo in Siena."

And there she went.

"We were at this beautiful little restaurant right on the Piazza del Campo – you should've seen it, decorated with hundreds of Italian white poppies and lit up with dozens of Murano glass candles – _sooo_ romantic," she grinned, her eyes taking on this far away look. "Anyway, we were eating steak and pasta, all drunk on red wine and on each other while a couple of Italian dudes played their violins like nobody's business! And then Edward pulled them aside and next thing I know they're serenading me and singing the most beautiful song just for me. "'Course, I couldn't understand a lick of it," she laughed. "Do you speak Italian Bree?"

Bree seemed caught off guard by the question. "Uhm…a little."

"Oh. Well I don't speak any more than your basic buongiorno and ciao and grazie and _va fanculo_" – I startled at the expletive and Bree's eyes widened even more, but Bella simply chuckled and shrugged, grabbing my hand and entwining our fingers tightly - "but Edward did a great job of translating in my ear. And then he sang it to me over and over for the rest of the night. Wasn't that a great night, babe?" She turned her eyes to me.

"Yes," I agreed, my heart racing. "It was a fantastic night."

"Yes," Bella repeated, chuckling.

Bree was silent for about five seconds. "That really is a beautiful story," she eventually said through yet another odd smile. "Edward and I were just recalling a similar night out on the town – also involving steak. Except instead of Italian poppies and Murano glass we had lilies and crystal chandeliers. Oh and instead of Italian singing, we had French."

I felt my face burn, as if somehow _I'd_ done something wrong.

An uncomfortable silence ensued.

"Well, good-bye, Edward. Bella," Bree said, inflectionless.

"Goodbye, Bree." Bella said clearly.

"Take care, Bree," I mumbled. And as Bree walked away, I cocked my head to the side and studied her, trying to figure out what had gotten into her today…

"It shouldn't be too long now," Bella said flatly, interrupting my reverie.

"What?"

She sat down and pulled out a small cooler from her big backpack, opening it up carefully and methodically. I took my seat again.

"Before she realizes what she gave up and is ready to come crawling back to you."

We were both silent, while Bella unwrapped a couple of sandwiches, peeling each layer of foil off with the precision of a surgeon.

"Bella-"

"I made sandwiches."

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't know. I ordered us turkey burgers." I tried to grin at her, but she wouldn't meet my gaze.

"I think I'll just have a sandwich."

"Come on, Bella," I tried to coax her. "At least try the turkey. You can barely even tell-"

"No." She took a huge bite of her sandwich, keeping her eyes on the way the peanut butter oozed out of the corners.

"But turkey burgers are healthier than-"

She set her sandwich down and finally looked up, leveling me with an angry glare.

"I don't care if it's healthier, Edward," she said coolly. "I don't care if it has less fat. I don't care if it'll help me live longer. If it were made out of solid gold and would make me shit out fourteen karat bricks that would keep me in the lap of luxury for the rest of my life, I _still_ wouldn't touch that shitty, bland, healthy, tan-colored, dry-ass turkey."

I jerked back in surprise, speechless.

She sighed heavily and sat back. And though she looked as beautiful as always, I thought I detected some dark circles under her eyes.

"Look Edward, don't mind me. I'm just…" –she ran a hand through the long length of her hair – "I'm just pms-ing today."

I chuckled softly and reached out to bring her chin up. She'd gotten some peanut butter on the corner of her mouth, so I wiped it off carefully with the tip of my index finger. The anger was gone from her eyes now, but they looked tired.

"Hey, you okay? Do you want me to bring you something from the hospital for your…symptoms?"

"No, I'll be okay," she smiled. "It should pass soon. But let's just say your girl Bree's lucky she didn't get a fist to the face just now."

I didn't even try not to laugh at that one. "Bree was never much of a fighter. You would've totally had her."

She chuckled back, and though we were talking about beating the shit out of Bree, I was just glad to hear Bella laughing. "Oh I _know_ I would've." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and smirked.

"I think…I think she's trying to be like you, you know," I told her.

She stared at me. "Little does she know she doesn't need to do anything, does she? Don't worry, Edward, we're halfway there. And then you'll have your fate and I'll have…Tuscany." She smiled.

My chest constricted painfully, but I wasn't sure why. I mean, she was right, wasn't she? This was what we'd agreed on. This was our _goal_. Wasn't it?

"Bella, I…" But I had no idea what I wanted to say.

She grinned suddenly but her eyes looked cooler all at once.

"So Edward, I hear tell there's some sort of shindig going on this weekend?"

I frowned, relieved…and somehow disappointed by the total change of subject.

"Uhm, well…" – I raked a hand through my hair – "it's just this stupid hospital benefit full of a bunch of old stuck up, stiff farts -black tie and formal. Don't worry, we don't have to go."

"Oh." She went back to eating her sandwich, not looking at me again.

I watched her. She seemed so…off today.

"Unless…you want to go…"

She looked up quickly and her baby browns sparkled, just like her normal self. A huge grin lit up her face and really, how could I say no to her? There was nothing at that moment I _wouldn't_ have done to keep that sparkle in her eyes.

She bounced up and down in her seat, and I laughed aloud, because it was typical Bella and I-

I what?

"Can we go, Edward? Please?" she asked anxiously, her voice sweet and expectant… and just her.

I sighed. "Of course we can, Bella. Of course we can."

* * *

**A/N: I _did_ say we'd get a bit angsty eventually, didn't I?**

**Va Fanculo – Italian slang for 'go fuck yourself.' :)**

**Really love hearing from you guys. Leave me a review and let me know what you're thinking, what your concerns are, predictions for the dance, etc.**

**And Bella's right, we're halfway there…**


	13. Ch 13 Fairy Tales & Dances

**A/N: I know, I know. This is late. It's the summer guys. I've got three little rugrats running around, clamoring for my attention. I'll try to keep the updates as regular as possible, but I can't make any promises. I still plan to update again this Friday, but if something goes wrong, it's probably because I'm off making Smores with the kiddies!**

**Also because of the issue above, I haven't had a chance to get back to reviews for the last couple of chappies. Please, please believe me when I say I LOVE hearing from you guys! So please keep on reviewing and I promise, I WILL get back to you soon!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer. **

**And thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for helping me **_**and**_** staying on top of me for this. (Don't think I don't know what you were doing babe!) :)**

**Chapter 13 – Fairy-tales & Dances**

**Chapter Song Rec: _Arms_ by Christina Perri (beautiful song and the inspiration for this entire story. Listen to it)**

* * *

**BPoV**

_At first, I tried so hard to keep those walls up, even as I knew what a hopeless and futile effort it would be – even as I admitted to myself that you'd gotten under my skin from day one. It wasn't because I didn't want you, but because as much as I may have wanted it, as much as I may have started entertaining my own little fantasies about us, I knew I could __**never**__ be that perfect happily ever after you'd apparently spent your life dreaming of – the one you'd confessed to me that night by the cliffs. I'd lived such a different life from you, and while I couldn't blame you for believing in fairy tale endings, __**I**__ knew only too well how impossible those really were._

_But if somehow __**she**__ could give you that perfect ending, that setting sun in the background with the successful careers and the happy marriage and the safe children, then I'd happily walk away, because __**that's**__ what you deserved. _

_No, that's not exactly true._

_I said I wouldn't apologize for anything, but maybe I do have something to be sorry for. Because for all the honorable intentions mentioned above, they all but faded to the background every single time we were alone and you held me in your arms. I tried, I swear I did, but my determination, my resolve to let you have your perfect ending…well it would simply melt away the instant your heart beat next to mine. In your arms, I finally felt right; I finally felt like maybe, just maybe, I was…home._

_So I am sorry if I made it that much more difficult for you._

OOOOOOOOOO

I lay sprawled out in my underwear, on my stomach over the big black plush sofa in the pretty dressing area of Tanya's fancy little boutique. We were drinking Rose's secret recipe frappes – which by the way, were slamming – and hanging out and bullshitting with Tanya while Alice created havoc in the store's back room. Supposedly, she was finding me a dress for the benefit, though what I really suspected she was doing was unleashing her inner Stacy London, and as the sound of yet another swooshing garment bag alerted me to her return, I sighed.

"Nope," I said, without bothering to look up because we'd been at this so long that I didn't need to look to know that her latest pick was yet another bomb. Instead, I took a long slurp from my drink and continued chopping up some e-fruit on my phone.

Alice huffed, snapping the plastic garment bag in her hands angrily. "But you haven't _even_ looked at it!"

I could feel more than see how flustered she was getting already - definitely taking this "It's only fifty-four hours 'til the benefit and we need to go find you a dress!" thing _waaay_ too seriously.

"Don't have to look at it," I said while I wielded my ninja sword through some particularly nasty pineapples. "The black lace peeking out from that garment bag speaks volumes."

"What's wrong with black lace?" she cried.

"Nothing - if it's on my underwear," I grinned, wiggling my butt for her. "But I'm not a seventy-year old grandma with blue hair. I don't do lacey dresses. Oh shit! Get back here you sneaky little watermelon!"

"Bella, everyone wears lace!" Alice stomped her tiny feet, but it was her frustrated tone that made me stop. I dropped my virtual fruit and sighed, looking up and into Alice's tight eyes.

"It's two days to the benefit and we still haven't found you the perfect dress and _you aren't even trying!_" she complained.

"I am too trying!" I contradicted. "I've been sitting here freezing my butt and my pretty tatas off for the past two hours letting you parade tacky dress after tacky dress in front of me - black ones and blue ones, lace ones and sequined ones," I shuddered.

"Laces and sequins and feathers, oh my," Rose threw in. She and Tanya and I burst out laughing - which did nothing to help Alice's mood. With an indignant huff, she stomped back into the inventory room and I went back to my Fruit Ninja, and Rose went back to sticking her boobs in little Brady's mouth while Tanya just played around on her laptop.

"Ally baby, don't be mad at me!" I yelled out, "It's just that none of these dresses speak to me!"

"Speak to you? What're you waiting for the right dress to say? Dear Bella, I am the one?" She growled out – her voice not at all light on the sarcasm.

"See, you _do_ know me!"

She grumbled something unintelligible, and I chuckled. Rose chuckled along with me while the little dude strained his head to make sure he remained thoroughly attached throughout all of his mother's thoughtless wiggling. After a few minutes, she put away her breasts while Little Dude just sort of hung out there, looking all dazed and satisfied and typical man-ish after getting boob.

Complicated process - feeding these little dudes.

"I hate to say it, Bella," she agreed while adjusting that strange bra of hers, "but Alice is right. You need to get cracking on finding a dress - something that'll show off that kick-ass body of yours," she chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and exhaled deeply.

I mean really, what was the point? I could look as kick-ass as Cinderella at that famous ball of hers and it wouldn't make a lick of difference. _I_ was not the princess in this here story; in fact, _I_ was nothing more than a second-rate character – a lowly stepsister if you will.

Whoa.

I face-planted over the sofa.

But made sure that I held my frappe up because if it spilled over Tanya's pretty plush sofa, she'd friggin' kill me.

I mean, where the hell had that come from, what the hell was happening to me and since when had fairy-tale analogies been my style? I was Charles James Swan Junior's little sister - we didn't do fairy-tales! Jamie would smack me upside the head if he were here right now or privy to my Disney Channel-like thoughts! My big bro had _never_ been the type to feel sorry for himself and he'd taught me never to do so either.

I picked my head up and stiffened my upper lip. Fine, if _she_ was what Edward wanted then so be it, but there was no way in hell I was going to allow her to make _me_ look like a fool!

Except….

Except, wasn't that what I'd agreed to? Wasn't that basically what Edward was paying me fifteen grand for: to play the fool; to pretend to be his girlfriend and to show Bree what she was missing out on, and then to just wait around until she was ready to take him back? Just like a-

Fuck. Never mind the lowly stepsister; I'd signed up for the part of the goddamned court jester.

I added _that_ to the growing list of personal revelations for me this week:

Number One - I was not as neutral to this entire situation as I'd originally claimed to be, as evidenced by:

A. the freaky feelings that had popped up recently (or perhaps not so recently – I was still working on that one) in regards to Edward, and

B. the fact that I wanted to take Doctor Bree Tanner and shove her headfirst into the nearest toilet.

And now, drum roll, please:

Number Two - when this game was over, along with my fifteen grand and trip to the Tuscan countryside, _I_ will have earned a pointy, three-tipped hat with jingly balls hanging off of each end! Yay me!

I _so_ had not thought this whole proposal out well enough.

Except that…

Oh damn, I might as well admit it to myself now, since the past few days had been chock full o' these fun little personal discoveries anyway.

Even on day one, I would've done anything for that guy.

I couldn't _stand_ to see Edward sad, or in pain, and even if I _had_ thought it through then and realized I'd be playing the fool _and_ that I'd develop these…feelings…I would've _still_ agreed to his proposal.

There. Another revelation. And what did all that add up to?

It added up to the fact that I'd been _fucked_ since day one.

And there I went face-planting again.

OOOOOOOOOO

**Two hours later:**

"Alice, please, can I just put my clothes on already!" I begged.

"No goddamnit!" she growled from the back room. "There has to be _something_ here!"

The air filled with sounds of hangers being dragged angrily across clothes lines and garment bags snapping loudly.

I groaned and threw myself back against the black sofa. "Tanya, help. Please make it stop."

Tanya chuckled. "Lemme go back there and see if I can find something before she destroys my store."

I closed my eyes, mentally exhausted. Fruit ninja-ing had gotten old, Siri had grown boring, and even Little Dude and his entertaining antics had abandoned me. He'd knocked out in his stroller about half an hour ago. Yet as much as I was complaining, I was secretly happy that Alice kept distracting me with her crappy dress picks. I didn't need way too much thinking time here.

Rose rolled the stroller back and forth, keeping little Brady snoring. "I think I may have to call it quits on the dress adventure soon too. I've got to get to the restaurant and start prepping."

I snapped my eyes open, because I so did not want to be left alone. "Ooh no, don't leave! What about the Little Dude? Don't you have to drop him off at Esme's? I'll go with! And then we can hang at the restaurant! I can be a busboy! I can bus for you!"

Rosalie frowned, smiling. "Esme and Carlisle went down to Seattle today to see some friends, remember? So little Brady's coming to work with his momma and daddy tonight; which means that I won't have time to" - she cleared her throat – "_help _you be a busboy."

I huffed and lifted myself up on one shoulder. "How the heck are you going to do your chef-ing and hostess-ing with the kid hanging off of you, anyway?"

Rose sighed, staring at her little man. "We'll make it work. These are the sacrifices we parents have to make sometimes. You'll see when you and Edward have your own little pack of rugrats."

I cringed internally, but forced my features to remain blank, because it wasn't Rose's fault that she had no idea how impossible her words were on oh so many different levels. And maybe it was just another stupid attempt at distraction that made me say what I said next.

"Look…if you want…I can watch the little dude for you tonight."

Oh hell, had I really just said that?

But before I could take it back, a huge grin lit up Rose's face and hell if I didn't know any better – which apparently I didn't - I'd swear I'd just been played.

"Would you?" She smirked. "But what about Edward? Don't you two have plans for tonight?"

I shook my head. "He's got to be in really early tomorrow, so we were probably just going to…hang…"

I looked away, gazing at the pretty wall-papered walls. Yes, this would be good, getting some separation and distance from Edward. Since this game had started over a month ago, he and I saw each other every single day, and since all these revelations had started bombarding me I hadn't had a night to myself to think and sort all this out. As much as I was trying to avoid thinking, at the same time I knew I couldn't do so indefinitely. I _had_ to decide what my next steps should be, because I wasn't so sure that carrying this thing through to the end of the summer was such a good idea any longer.

A night away from Edward was probably exactly what I needed.

"Oh. Well he can come watch Brady with you, can't he?" Rose suggested.

"No, no," I shook my head quickly, and then noticing Rose's deepening frown, I grinned. "I mean, I'm sure he doesn't want to be stuck with me and a pooping, crying kid. I'll tell him to go hang with Jake or something. I know they've been craving some guy time."

"Yeah, I'm sure he's craving guy time with Jake more than he's craving time with you," Rose snickered.

I shrugged, smiling nervously.

"Whatever," she finally said. "I guess I'll be able to cook better if I don't have to have an image of you and he making babies while you're supposed to be watching mine stuck in my head all night."

"He, he," I chuckled weakly, "Funny. See? It's all good."

Full of nervous energy, I got up and picked Little Dude up from his stroller and held him up and away from me, staring at his still-sleeping, fat face.

"So it's just you and me tonight, kiddo. What should we do to keep ourselves busy?"

He just sort of sagged there, unresponsive.

Yeah, it was going to be a fun night.

When Alice and Tanya finally made it back out, Tanya rushed over to me, garment bag in hand.

"Here we go again," I muttered at the sleeping little dude in my arms.

Tanya giggled, unzipping the bag. "Alright Bella, let's be honest, Alice may know you better, but a fashion guru she is not." I snorted while Alice scowled our way. "Now _I_ may not know you that well, but I think _I've_ found the perfect dress for you."

"But will it speak to her?" Rose grinned wryly.

"Exactly. Tanya baby, you've got a sweet little store here and all and I love that comfy sofa and your wallpaper's really pretty too, but we've been here for three hours and I'm not holding my breath and holy hell where did you find _that_?"

I snatched the dress away from Tanya and with a sleeping little dude still in tow I scurried over the soft pink carpet to the large full length mirrors. Holding the dress up and against me I inspected my reflection and holy hell.

"Hello pretty dress; my name is Bella Swan and I'll be wearing you to a benefit in fifty-one hours, and I promise to try my darnedest not to stain you or rip you."

Oh yeah, the dress was speaking to me – in full sentences and poems and sonnets.

"Hold the kid." I handed Brady off to his mother and threw the dress over my head, and oh mother-effing _hell_ _yeah_.

It was blue, but a pretty, bright blue, not like those boring old-lady-blue dresses Alice kept throwing my way. Strappy and silky and long, flowing past my knees, but what made it stand out were the long-ass slits in the front and back – and when I say long-ass, I mean _long-ass_ - literally. The slit in the front reached all the way down to my navel, revealing the space between my tatas without actually giving them away, and the slit in the back stretched all the way down to the top of my ass, while still keeping that under wraps too.

I gazed at the mirror, honestly in awe of myself. "Where have you been keeping this baby?" I whispered.

"It's one-of-a-kind vintage seventies. I had it on display in the front window a few months back, but you've got to have the body _and_ the balls to wear that," Tanya chuckled, "and let's face it, this _is_ Forks. I'd honestly forgotten all about it."

"Yeah, I remember that dress hanging in the window when I was pregnant," Rose muttered, "but you're right, you do need balls _and_ the body to wear that, and I think we all know Bella's got both," she chuckled quietly.

Meanwhile, I couldn't take my eyes off myself. I _almost_ felt like Cinderella – though not quite a PG version of her. And minus my Prince Charming.

That last thought threatened to send me into another spiraling avalanche of unwanted thoughts. I bit my lip and shook my head quickly.

"But do you think it's appropriate for the benefit?"

Yeah, I friggin' loved it, but it was clearly more J. Lo at the Grammys than doctor's girlfriend at a small town benefit.

"Screw appropriateness!" Rose chuckled.

"Yeah," Tanya agreed. "Edward is gonna go absolutely crazy when he sees you in that," she whispered. "Trust me."

"Oh, I don't care that my fashion sense was shit today or that I wasn't the one who found it," Alice cried, her voice cracking with emotion, "it is _so_ you, Bella! And Rose and Tanya are right. Screw appropriateness, Edward's gonna love you in that!"

I smiled, but that ache in my chest that had become all too familiar in the past few days made another appearance because for just the teeny-tiniest moment, I could picture it. Looking in that mirror, I pictured myself with Edward, and me in this dress, and his eyes full of appreciation. I mean, yeah, I knew he liked my body; he'd basically told me more than once.

But for the smallest moment, in my mind's eye it was much more than that. When Edward looked at me, I pictured his eyes growing wide with the realization that maybe, just maybe, _I_ could be his happily-

The stupid front door chimed, snapping me out of my reverie – wildly misplaced anyway - and reminding me once again how ridiculous these continuing fairy-tale fantasies of mine were.

_Me_ as Edward's happily ever after?

Yeah right, I snorted internally. As if my _entire_ _life_ hadn't prepared me to be anything but, and besides, while I'd never actually watched one of those fairy-tale flicks, I was pretty sure the fair maiden had to, at a very minimum, permanently reside in the same vicinity as her prince – at least in the neighboring town.

And_ I_ didn't belong in this small town where everyone knew everyone and they all helped each other out. But it was as my eyes moved beyond my reflection in the mirror and trailed to the person who'd walked in with the chiming door that I came face to face with the main reason why my stupid fairy-tale dreams could _never_ come true.

Stupid, small only-one-dress-boutique-possessing town.

Bree's eyes were wide open in surprise. Or maybe that's how they always looked, I wasn't sure at this point. But now I understood why the entire room had abruptly grown so silent - and here I'd been thinking it was because I looked so breathtaking.

We stared at each other for a few seconds – or rather glared would be a more accurate description ever since the hand-job incident that had led to the turkey biting incident that had fed into the ever-so-subtle go fuck yourself that had apparently necessitated her throwing one of she and Edward's past romantic dinners in my face. Either way, it was Tanya that finally broke the dense silence.

"Hey, Bree. What's up?"

Bree moved her huge eyes from me. "Hey, Tanya. I'm looking for a dress for the benefit."

"Oh. Well, I'm almost done with Bella here, and then I'll be happy to help you."

Bree trailed her eyes back to me, and as she'd done since we'd met, her eyes raked over me in obvious disapproval. And while at first her reaction to me had been more amusing than anything, _so_ much had changed in the past few days.

"Is that the dress you'll be wearing to the benefit, Isabella?"

"Yes, it is, Bree." I answered sweetly, smiling and twirling around in my dress. "Do you like it?"

She didn't respond.

Rose and Alice gathered their things and muttered something about waiting outside, and I hadn't missed how neither apparently _ever_ had anything to say to Bree, but I'd make sure I questioned them about that later because right now, Bree's eyes were _still_ on me. I lifted the dress off of me, walked over to the plush sofa and threw my own dress back on. Tanya took the party dress from me and with an obviously nervous smile, walked over to the register. I followed and handed her Edward's credit card. All the while, the silence around us was deafening, and I felt so bad for Tanya because I could tell she felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Ooh! Hold on there Bella! I've got these beautiful drop earrings that would go perfect with that dress!" Tanya exclaimed just before totaling me up. "Let me just go to the back and get them!"

I grinned at her, and then, left in the room alone with Bree, started whistling a happy tune to myself, admiring Tanya's pretty ceiling.

"Isabella…"

Fuck.

I sighed and brought my eyes to Bree. She took a few steps towards me and then stopped, drawing in a long breath and letting it out slowly.

"Look, I just want to tell you that I know that you and I haven't gotten off on the right foot…"

I raised both eyebrows in a look that clearly said, "seriously?" Because no matter what, as far as she was concerned _I_ was Edward's girlfriend and there was _no_ reason why _she_ should've been biting his fucking burger.

But I'd been paid to play the fool, so instead of knocking her out I was here now.

"…so please don't take this the wrong way…"

But fuck, she was going to start with me again. I sighed and tried to remind myself that this girl did not know me. She didn't know how different the world I came from was from hers. Still, just in case Pissed-the-fuck-off Bella won out over Cool, Calm and Collected Bella, I prepared myself for a night in jail because I was pretty sure Edward wouldn't bail me out if I kicked the love of his life's ass.

"…but while the dress _is_ beautiful on you, I've been to these types of events before, and I'm not sure it's appropriate for that type of venue."

_Sticks and stones, Bella, sticks and stones. _I closed my eyes and muttered the words to myself while every expletive under the sun came to me - and some darn creative ways to string them together - but I simply snorted and turned away from her, whistling my tune.

"I'm just thinking of Edward, Isabella," she continued, apparently unaware of how close to getting my foot up her ass she truly was. "He's just starting out, and how seriously is the medical community going to take him if he walks in with you wearing that?"

_Sticks and fucking stones,_ I muttered internally, but my jaw clenched tight and my hands screwed up into fists...

Tanya walked back into the room and I let go of the breath I'd been holding.

"Got 'em! Check these out, Bella!"

I barely glanced at them. "Perfect. Throw'em in there."

And once I was all rung and packed up, I took my purchases, said my good-byes and thank yous to Tanya, and strutted out of there without a backwards glance.

Maybe I'd agreed to a proposal where Bree would win in the end, and maybe I'd signed up to play the fool, but right now, that woman was walking a very fine line with me.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

We were sitting on a few metal fold-up chairs that Jake had opened up outside of his garage, bullshitting over a couple of beers – or rather Sam and Jake were bullshitting over beers. I had to be back at the hospital at 4 a.m. I was bullshitting with a bottle of water in hand.

"I thought you were going to bring Bella with you next time you came down?" Sam asked.

"She's baby-sitting tonight," I chuckled, wrapping my hands around the cool bottle. It was another hot night, and the warm evening breeze blowing did little to offer relief. "For Em's kid," I clarified.

"Bella, baby-sitting?" Jake questioned. "That should go over well," he snorted before chugging his beer.

I swallowed thickly, feeling a flash of heat run up my spine that had nothing to do with the sticky atmosphere. Still, I tried to ignore the way my stomach flipped every time Jake spoke about Bella with such familiarity, like he knew her so well. I tried to remind myself that I knew _him_ much better than I'd ever really known Mike, and that – unlike had been the case with Bree – he and Bella were actually friends too.

"It actually should," I contradicted with an admittedly cocky grin, because no matter how well Jake may have thought he knew Bella, _I_ fucking knew her better. "That kid's crazy about her. You gotta see the way his tiny face lights up whenever she's around. If anyone can keep that kid entertained tonight, it's Bella."

Jake chuckled and said something else, but I missed it, because something hit me just then.

Brady, as well as Rose and Jasper and Emmett and hell, the rest of my family, were _all_ crazy about Bella.

And in just a few short weeks, she would be gone.

The thought brought with it an ache that was becoming more and more prominent, even more so now with this realization. Bella wasn't only unbelievably important to me, but to the rest of my family as well. And what about her? When she left would she miss any of us, or would she be too entertained off in Tuscany – or wherever she ended up – to even think about us?

Fuck, I'd apparently missed so much that night when, all desperate and not thinking clearly, I'd made that proposal.

I ran an anxious hand through my hair and then raked it down my face.

"Hey, you okay, man?" Jake asked.

I shook my head quickly. "Yeah, sorry. What did you say?"

"I said," he chuckled, "that Bella can entertain anyone." Then he took another drink from his can of beer while I stared at him, once again fighting down my desire to kick his ass.

I changed the subject off of Bella then.

An hour later, the sun had fully disappeared and in its wake had been left a blanket of darkness. I glanced at my watch again, feeling anxious. I rested a hand over my leg to try to control its constant bouncing.

It had seemed like a good idea honestly, when Bella suggested I come hang out with Jake tonight since she'd gotten stuck watching Brady. For one, I hadn't really hung out with Jake and the guys since my return to Forks, partly because I was so busy at the hospital, and partly due to the fact was that I spent every free moment I _did_ have either sleeping or with Bella.

For another, I'd thought it would be good to spend some time away from her. Things had gotten so crazy last week, and between the hospital and seeing her and seeing Bree all the time, my mind was spinning.

But here I was, hanging with Seth and Jake and drinking water while they drank their beer…and my mind was still in total chaos.

Because I _couldn't_ think.

And I felt…anxious, but I couldn't understand why.

So when I got up and clapped both of my buddies on the shoulder in parting and made my way out of La Push, I meant to head back to my apartment. I was tired. It was late. I'd hung out with the guys. Maybe if I got a few good hours of sleep, I could _finally_ think again.

But fifteen minutes later I found myself in the driveway of my parents' house, and as I got out of the car and walked up the driveway I was greeted by loud singing from just inside. It mixed with the noises the crickets were making and created this weird yet strangely harmonious discord. So instead of pulling out my keys, or ringing the doorbell, I walked quietly to the bow window, and through the thin white curtains hanging there and with the help of a couple of lit lamps, I could _just_ make Bella out.

The light from the lamps illuminated her in a golden glow. She was dressed in her Phoenix Suns jersey and a pair of tiny bike shorts. Her long hair was up in a pony-tail and white little socks covered her shoeless feet. Little Brady lay upright in her arms as she danced him around the room, twirling him around and around while he laughed hysterically and she belted out her lyrics for him with all the heart she put into everything she did.

For a few minutes, I simply stood there, mesmerized, because it was probably one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen.

When I finally made myself knock and she opened the door, my nephew was still laughing, gazing at her adoringly.

Bella jerked her head back, as if surprised to see me. "Edward. What are you doing here?" she shouted over the loud music.

"Interrupting one hell of a night, apparently," I shouted back, chuckling.

She simply stood there for a few seconds, watching me.

"Uhm…can I come in?" I teased, smiling though she looked so startled that I suddenly felt like really was intruding.

She blinked. "Oh, sorry," she chuckled and moved away from the door hastily. "Course you can come in, Edward," she laughed. "It's your parent's home."

"It's your home too," I corrected her, moving past her and inside.

"WHAT?" she yelled as she moved towards the stereo.

"I said," I raised my voice higher, "IT'S YOUR HOME TOO!"

She turned the stereo down just as I bellowed. My words echoed loudly in the air

Bella turned to face me. "Oh. Well, just for the summer," she responded in an all-too-airy tone.

I felt that dull ache in my chest again.

"So what happened with the guys?" she went on quickly, "I thought you were chillin' with them tonight?" Brady reached out and tugged on the ends of her hair, whining and wiggling in her arms.

"I went. I chilled. Now I'm here." I shrugged.

She narrowed her eyes minutely, studying me for a few seconds through those deep brown eyes, as if she were trying to read something. All the while, Brady squirmed and complained.

"I think he may want another dance," I grinned crookedly.

A slow smile spread across her pretty face. "How do you know we were dancing?"

"I watched you through the window," I admitted unapologetically.

She narrowed her eyes further, pursing her lips. Then she burst out laughing. "Stalker. Brady your uncle's a stalker." Then she gave me one of those impish looks of hers, and…we simply stood there, across the room from each other and locked in one another's eyes like two people who had more to say than they currently knew how.

But as I gazed at her, I couldn't help noticing how even in something as shapeless as an overgrown jersey, even with her hair up in a messy ponytail, she looked breathtaking.

Still, anything else that may have started to dawn at that moment was interrupted because Brady was _not_ a happy camper any longer, and after a few moments his whining grew too loud to ignore.

Bella looked away from me, and the connection was broken by the crying boy in her arms. "Alright, alright, little dude," she said in a soft, soothing tone. He stopped crying right away, gazing up at her curiously.

"I made some snacks for me and Brady. Would you like to join us?" she offered.

We walked into the kitchen, where a sweet and savory scent filled the air, rising from the cookie sheet on the counter spread out with what seemed like some fresh baked dessert.

"So what is it?" I asked.

"Marshmallow and bacon smores."

Funny, I wasn't even surprised at that point. In the past month I'd learned that, to Bella, everything tasted better with bacon.

And what's more, I was starting to agree.

So Bella put Brady in his highchair while we sat on the counter stools and ate smores and talked and played with Brady, and I convinced Bella that –while her concoction was definitely delicious - it probably wouldn't be a good idea to let a seven-month-old have one. So we compromised by letting him lick a graham cracker instead. And the thing was that I couldn't even begin to deny how much better bacon smores with Bella and Brady were than beers and bullshit with the guys had been. As a matter of fact, every evening this past month had been better than any evening I'd spent in…a long time.

And as we talked and joked and laughed, all these things quietly flickered through my brain, circling around and around fleetingly - like a thought _almost_ there, but not quite. Or maybe there already, but…

When Brady started crying again, no longer satisfied with his soggy cracker, Bella turned her attention back to him, cooing him gently.

"I'm telling you, he wants another dance," I chuckled.

"Is that what you want, little dude?" she asked softly. "Do you want another dance with Bell Bell?"

She picked him up from his high chair and held him close to her, and then just started swaying with him from side to side. But while it definitely had the desired effect and calmed Brady down - his small body sagged against her, his arms wrapped around her chest – it woke something up in me.

I watched them, as she sang to him quietly, and his breathing slowed, and his eyes closed…

And I hadn't even realized that I'd gotten up when I stood before her. And apparently she'd been so focused on Brady that she startled to see me so close. Carefully, I reached out and took her hand, placing it on my shoulder. And while she balanced Brady in one arm, I wrapped my arms around her waist and helped her hold him up between us.

At first she looked up at me, wide-eyed, her brown eyes reflecting all the confusion swimming around inside me. But this was Bella, and it only took a few seconds for that beautiful smile of hers to light up her face and then ever so cautiously she lowered her head, resting it on my chest. I sighed deeply and rested my chin lightly over the top of her head, pulling her in closer – close enough that I could almost feel her heart beating next to mine.

And then, we moved around to our own music while Brady slept peacefully between us.

* * *

**A/N: So one's trying not to think while the other just can't completely wrap his mind around it just yet. Give'em time guys. It's only been a little over a month for them, and they have issues. Issues which, btw, will start to come to light now…**

**Let me know what you're thinking! I love hearing all you guys theories on what Bella's issues are!**

**Benefit dance coming up next!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**TWCS: Pattyrose817 (though I've been bad and not updated there in a while!)**


	14. Chapter 14 Dresses & Dates

**A/N: I missed a posting last week. Sorry. I could give you excuses, or I could just get on with it.**

**There'a a link on my profile if you want to get an idea of what Bella's dress looks like.**

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing this baby for me.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Ch. 14 – Dresses and Dances**

**Chapter song Rec: How Deep is your Love by the Bee Gees (super oldie, but goodie, and perfect here – you'll see why).**

* * *

**BPoV**

_The night of the benefit was a beautiful night, wasn't it? Clear and warm, though not as sticky as those summer nights had gotten. I felt so hopeful that night with you by my side, holding me close to you so possessively. I allowed myself to believe that you felt what I felt and that somehow things would turn out right; that together, we'd find a way out of the mess we'd made of things._

_Little did I know that the mess was just beginning…_

OOOOOOOOOO

"Ouch!"

"Stop wiggling around so much!"

I tried to remain still as a statue, watching the little black wand inch closer and closer.

"Bella, stop blinking."

"But you're making me nervous," I chuckled. "What if you poke my eye out?"

Alice rolled her own eyes. "I don't think that's possible to do with a mascara wand."

"Easy for you to say," I muttered, "You're not the one at the wrong end of one."

"Stop blinking unless you want to end up looking like a raccoon!"

"I'm sorry," I giggled, "but I've never had anyone do my make-up!"

She sighed and looked down at me. "Didn't you and your girlfriends do each other's makeup when you were kids?"

"Make-up wasn't a big thing where I grew up."

"Where'd you grow up?"

"Phoenix," I smirked.

She gazed at me questioningly. "Make-up's not big in Phoenix?"

I shrugged. "Guess not. Are we almost done? I'm growing roots to this chair here."

Alice leaned back against the bathroom sink heavily. "What's going on with you, Bell? You seem even more restless than usual lately."

I shrugged my bare shoulders and looked down at my pretty blue silk dress to hide my face from Alice. Those crazy little creatures that had pitched a tent in my tummy around the same time that I'd pitched one up in Forks had been running around rampant in there for the past week. In the last forty-eight hours or so though, they'd moved on from merely rampant to a full out topsy-turvy upside-down revolt. Every time I thought of Edward, every time I dreamt of him – which I'll be honest was basically _all the time_ now – those friggin' creatures would take over.

In other words, I was a damn mess.

Never mind _how_ this had happened - I'd moved beyond that question and on to _why_ Edward had come over the other night after I'd specifically told him he didn't need to? I'd planned to use my night off wisely, to figure out what my next move in this here game should be. But then he'd stayed around and hung out with me, and danced with me, and held me in his arms…and Jesus why oh why had that felt so good - so _right_? Why had it felt like, after so much wandering and searching, I was finally where I belonged? I mean, it couldn't _possibly_ be, right? Those arms, those eyes, that smile, that heart, that heat and life and energy, it all belonged to someone else. I'd simply been recruited to help _her_ find her way home.

So why the hell hadn't Edward so much as mentioned Bree in the past couple of days?

Finally finished with the mascara, Alice pulled back and gave me an approving once-over while I checked out my reflection. In keeping with the dress, she'd stuck to the late seventies theme, finishing me off with dark eyes and clear lip-gloss. My hair had been put up in a fancy do, with a few wisps left hanging strategically, as if they'd gotten loose on their own, but Alice and I knew the truth.

"You look absolutely perfect," she purred excitedly.

I bit my lip and just stared back at the sadly mixed-up girl in the mirror.

Alice bent down to my eye level and turned to gaze at my reflection. "Relax, he's gonna love you tonight. He already does," she giggled. "The dress is just icing on the cake!"

I looked at her through the mirror and smiled, hiding the ache her assumption caused.

OOOOOOOOO

"Whew Whew!" Jasper whistled out a cat-call through his teeth as I made my way down the stairs, Alice smugly at my side. She may not have been the one who found the dress, but she was the one who'd "classed it up," as she'd called it.

Jasper's eyes took me in - admiringly, not in a horn dog way. "You look amazing and tell me where you got that dress 'cause I've gots to go get Alice one!"

"Sorry." I came to a stop at the bottom step. "This here's a one-of-a-kind, babe."

"Damn it!"

I laughed. "But for the right price, I may be persuaded to put it out on loan for a night."

Jasper grinned back widely. "You're on!"

"Then lend that shit over here too," Emmett growled, walking into the room and curling his fingers in invitation, "because I need to see my Rosie in _that_." Rose snickered at his side. "Are you trying to give my brother Edward a heart attack?" he guffawed.

"…_but while the dress is beautiful on you…I'm not sure it's appropriate..."_

I suppressed a nervous shudder while Bree's words circled around in my head. Yeah, I knew I looked good, but what if she was right? Honestly I had no experience at all with this type of event and as much as I hated to admit it, Miss Prim and Proper obviously did. She'd been raised in this world, groomed to be a doctor…a doctor's _wife_…

_No. If I'm gonna second guess anything, it won't be the dress. I kick ass in this dress. _

_You may kick ass, but it's not right for tonight. You look like a mobster's trophy wife. _

_Not true! Alice just classed the shit out of it! It'll be fine!_

_No, it won't! You'll make **him** look like a 'Scarface' reject._

_No, I won't!_

_Yes, you will!_

_No, I won't you dirty-rotten-_

I screwed my eyes shut. Shit, I was even fighting with the woman in my head now.

The doorbell rang, and never having been one for delayed gratification, I ran for the door.

"Bella!" Alice cried, "Don't open it yourself! Come back upstairs and let someone else get it so you can make a grand entrance." She deflated as I turned the doorknob.

I remember going to church a couple of times when I was little. My mom would march my dad, Jamie and I down the middle aisle to the front pews like we owned the place, squeezing us in and ignoring the ensuing sardine-can situation. I have only vague recollections of the dirty looks received from our immediate neighbors, but I clearly remember the singing - beautiful like the choirs of angels. From then on, choirs of angels would ring out in my head whenever I saw something truly beautiful, worthy of true awe.

Well those choirs were singing now, crooning - raising their voices in glorious exaltation, clapping their hands, stomping their feet, tossing their heads in unadulterated religious revival while proclaiming _Amen_ and _Hallelujah_ because Edward - delicious in scrubs, delectable in jeans, scrumptious in board shorts – was in a _tux; _all silky black lapels and perfectly starched white shirt tucked into perfectly creased pants and gold cufflinks and a silk bowtie tied perfectly at his neck.

My pelvic muscles went into double-kegel overdrive. The power of speech eluded me.

And the way he was staring at me made me think that maybe, just maybe he'd be doing kegels himself if he were physiologically equipped to do so.

"Bella…God…_Jesus_…"

Or maybe he was hearing those angelic choirs. Either one was good.

"These are for you," he murmured, eyes locking on mine. I vaguely saw him holding something out to me. "White poppies, from Tuscany, seeing as they're our official flower." He grinned crookedly and winked and my insides? Hot mush.

I blinked and forced my eyes away from him and his perfection and to the flowers.

They were the flowers I'd used in my latest story to Bree, not your basic roses or tulips, but the poppies - from Tuscany.

_Oh Lordie, this man was seriously trying to confuse the ever-living hell out of me._

I drew in a long shaky breath. "I'll just go put these in some water and then we can get-"

"I'll take care of them, Bella," Rose offered, taking the flowers from me with a wide smile. "You two get going. You're late already."

I turned around, revealing the back of the dress to Edward, and picked up the small purse Rose had lent me for tonight. A sharp gasp sounded behind me. When I turned back around Edward's was drawing in his own shaky breath, his lips narrowed in an oval 'o.'

I grinned smugly.

He reached out and took my hand, sending those wonderfully freaky sparks cascading through the both of us. With his eyes intent on mine, he placed his other hand firmly on the small of my bare back to lead me out. And you know those crazy creatures dancing in the pit of my tummy? They morphed into the prettiest butterflies, fluttering around with only the barest restrained hope and anticipation. I barely heard the guys whispering and giggling behind us.

"They're going to have so much fun. Em, you need to take me to a party soon."

"Baby, wear a dress like that and I will take you wherever and whenever you want to go."

"She is so gonna kick-ass at that benefit."

"That's if they don't make a pit stop at his place and completely miss the benefit."

They all snickered and I looked down at my high-heel sandaled feet…and smiled.

OOOOOOOOOO

Forks, being such a small town, held the benefit in a huge white tent that had been set up next to the hospital. It looked really pretty as we pulled up in the truck; white lights twinkling from inside, music and voices seeping through. On the ride over, Edward told me how the planning committee, of which Esme was a part, had spent the entire day setting up the inside, putting down a dance floor and stuff; he'd heard the band practicing from inside the hospital.

I bounced up and down eagerly as we waited for the valet guys to collect the keys to the truck. Edward grinned at me indulgently and reached out and put his hands on my shoulders. I stopped bouncing, my skin tingling where his hands rested.

See, the thing was that I _knew_ he felt it too, the addictive burn that was always present when he and I touched. When we'd first met he'd attributed it to some charge _I_ gave off.

Then why hadn't any of the guys I'd been with before ever accused me of making their skin tingle – that is, unless they were trying to get into my panties?

What if it wasn't me? What if that charge, that burn we felt was created by…_both_ of us?

"Hey," he murmured quietly. "I don't think I expressed it properly back at the house, but you left me speechless." He chuckled nervously again. "You look…amazing tonight."

This time I did sigh, all girly and dazed-like. "So do you. You don't think it's" - I looked down at myself – "too much?"

His eyes followed the direction mine had just taken. "It's…different, but I'm beginning to expect the unexpected from you," he grinned, still inspecting my dress carefully. "No, it's definitely not too much." His hands slowly trailed down my arms, wrapping carefully around my waist while his fingers grazed my bare back, which he stroked carefully with his tips. "If anything, I'm worried it may not be enough," he smirked.

I smirked back and drew in a deep breath. "Edward, I wanted to ask you something."

"Edward, Bella."

I looked beyond Edward to Jake and a pretty girl I assumed was his date.

"Hey, Jake," I grinned. Edward turned around, only dropping one hand from my waist, which he used to shake Jake's hand. Jake introduced us to his date, Nessa, a pretty nurse from the hospital. She said hi sweetly to us, and though Jake looked pretty yummy himself tonight, the girl's eyes lingered helplessly over Edward for a beat longer than necessary. Her cheeks reddened and she looked down when she caught me catching her. I simply smiled because it was like walking down the street with a semi-god, tall and strong and perfect and practically _glowing_. Could you really expect people _not_ to stare?

There was only one huge pair of female eyes that pissed me the fuck off whenever they landed on Edward – and they were the pair I'd been hired to guide back to him.

Ironic, wasn't it?

But I pushed _her_ and her huge eyes and the irony out of my head. Jake complimented me on my dress tonight, and then Edward wrapped his arm tightly around my waist, pulling me in firmly to his side. While the four of us walked into the white tent together, I couldn't help noticing how perfectly I fit against Edward. How had I not noticed before?

My heart skipped to the beat of the music playing inside. I looked up at Edward and he grinned and held my gaze, and it was getting so hard to subdue the surge of hope swelling inside me.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV **

Bella was heaven and hell in that dress.

From the top of her head to the bottom of her red-manicured toes, she was angelic, exquisite perfection. The dress…_Jesus_ the dress fit her like second skin in all the right places, then flowed elegantly to just below her knees, revealing enough skin to tempt the devil himself – without actually _revealing_ anything. That shade of blue contrasted against her creamy skin perfectly. Her heeled sandals lifted her calves and showed off perfectly shaped legs. Her eyes were dark and mysterious; her lips…natural yet kissably glossy.

She was Heaven - and I was going to have a hell of a night keeping every horny fucker's eyes off her.

It started the minute we stepped out of the truck.

The valet slipped on his own drool as he came to collect the keys. I jabbed them into his chest and helped him find his balance again by giving him a helpful shove into the truck.

All as she bounced around excitedly, oblivious to the hanging tongues around her.

Then came Jake - my dear old buddy Jake.

It would've been comical the way his eyes bulged out of his sockets, if they hadn't been trained to the bare space between Bella's breasts. That kind of negated the humorous factor, especially as his eyes remained there even while making the introductions to Nessa, the cute nurse with whom he'd arrived. It was only the strenuously persuasive handshake I gave him that reminded him that eyes tended to be on a person's face.

And we hadn't even made it into the benefit yet.

I pulled Bella against me and let Jake and his date walk in ahead of us – I knew I couldn't avoid it all night, but there was no way in hell he was getting a look at the back of that dress just yet.

It was ridiculous, I knew it, for me to be this possessive of Bella. It had started as a proposal: an agreement between the both of us to get me Bree back and to get her that trip to Tuscany of which she'd always dreamed.

But somewhere along the way, I couldn't even pinpoint the moment, something had gone off track. She was in my dreams every night, behind my lids every waking moment. She felt like nirvana in my arms. I missed her when she wasn't around. She made me laugh. She made me angry. She made me think. She brought out the jealous and possessive caveman I'd never known existed.

I was…infatuated with Bella – I knew that much.

But what about Bree? What about my feelings for her? What about our history, the future we'd planned, the kids we were supposed to have?

I'd always been a planner, since day one. While Jake and Sam and my brothers spent their lives reaching only short range goals, I was a med student, and by the age of twenty I'd envisioned and mapped out my _entire_ future up to retirement – it was the plan I'd shared with Bella over by the cliffs that night. A med student couldn't exactly live a day to day life; it took lots of prep, lots of goal orientation and visualization.

What was going on with that plan now? Why did it feel so…oppressive and rigid?

And what would happen at the end of this summer when either way our agreement would be up, and Bella would be looking for her fifteen grand so she could fly off to Tuscany, relegating this summer to nothing more than one of her many adventures?

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

OOOOOOOOOO

It was one of those bands that played slightly out of tune instrumental versions of modern day songs. They were in the middle of some current billboard hit when we walked into the room full of black tuxes and equally dark gowns – so I suppose that's one of the reasons all eyes turned to us. Bella stood out like a glittering sapphire in an ocean of opals and onyx.

Bella, either unaware or unconcerned with all the eyes on her, pulled me by the hand and tried to lead me towards the dance floor.

"Edward, dance with me!"

There were lots of things I wanted to do with her at the moment, of which dancing wasn't at the top of the list. Neither was the necessary rounds and introductions to the heads of departments, to the doctors who ran the hospital or the various departments I'd be making rounds with in the future, but it was necessary for my career. This was part of the reason I hadn't originally wanted to come to this benefit – to spare Bella from an evening with these old farts and their antiquated ways of thinking.

But now we were here, and it had to be done.

"First we have to say hi to a few people." I held her gently in place. "Do you mind?"

I saw the slight flash of disappointment in her eyes, but she grinned. "No, of course not."

Bella - always willing to do anything.

It took longer than I would've liked. First there was the head of the Cardiology department; a plump, short-ish, balding man in his late fifties and his wife, a tall and slender woman of about the same age. They were pleasant enough, and Bella was her usual jovial self. We spent about ten minutes discussing the current advancements in cardiac surgery. Bella surprised me with how informed she was on the subject, and then I took her hand and we moved on to the head of Oncology, a way more reserved gentleman and equally reserved wife. We spoke about the latest findings on the appropriate age for a colonoscopy. Bella listened intently and offered pretty impressive opinions and thoughts on the subject.

I wrapped an arm around her waist, my arm tingling as it met her bare back, and led her away from the Oncology group.

"You're pretty well informed, Ms. Swan," I whispered in her ear, shivering when my lips grazed her lobe. "You surprised me a few times back there," I teased.

She stopped walking and turned to me with a smile, cocking her head to the side. "Did you think me stupid, Edward?"

I frowned. "No. No, of course not, Bella. I just meant-"

"You just meant you thought I was uninformed," she grinned.

"No." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, wincing when I remembered I'd actually taken a few minutes to try to tame it tonight. "I'm just surprised that with all of your wandering…" I trailed off.

"I haven't always been a wanderer, Edward." Her dark eyes held my gaze. "I actually had a past before I ended up in this town. I didn't just…appear out of the blue."

There was something challenging in the way she looked at me. But she was right. In my mind, Bella was almost like a mythical creature: a beautiful enchantress that just appeared in a loud cloud of smoke one day, ready to solve all my problems.

What about her problems? Why was it that I really knew so little about her life before the day she poofed into mine?

"Bella, what are you-"

"Doctor Cullen!" I turned around and was greeted by Doctor Roberts, head of the Mental Health Department. His wife was at his right side, and at his left, were Doctor Bree Tanner and her boyfriend, Mike Newton.

I drew in a slow, steady breath.

I shook Doctor Roberts hand and introduced him to Bella while he introduced his wife. Then I forced my eyes to Bree and Mike.

Of course I knew I'd be seeing her tonight. This type of function was right up Bree's alley, there was no way she wouldn't show up. But while I'd been aware of her inevitable presence, I hadn't been able to sort out how I felt about it. There were so many unknowns swimming around in my head right now and between work and just life in general, not enough time to figure them out. Still the clock kept ticking. The summer nights kept fading away, one by one. Inevitably the heat would end, the first leaves would turn and fall and _she'd_ be gone…

"Bree, how are you?" I smiled.

"I'm good, Edward, and you?"

"Good, thanks."

She was wearing a black dress, pretty, with lace and shorter than I would've expected from her. Her hair was down again, and her neckline plunged a bit, I think, but my eyes didn't wander low enough to see. The whole time I could feel Bella's eyes on me, and when her hand tightened around mine, I wasn't sure if she was trying to lend me support or break my fingers. It was while I tried to figure this out in my head that I turned to greet Mike. Unfortunately, while I'd kept my eyes from wandering, Mike seemed to be having a bit more trouble in that department. I realized this when I interrupted his busy perusal of _my_ girlfriend's body.

"Mike!" I hissed, more forcefully than I'd realized. His eyes jumped to me, beady eyes widening in realization that he'd been busted.

"Oh! Hey, Edward!" He swallowed thickly, cheeks reddening. "Warm evening, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Yes, you can definitely say I'm burning up right now."

He reddened even more; at least he wasn't too stupid to get my meaning.

"Oh. Uhm…"

Doctor Roberts proceeded to go into some sort of discussion while I nodded and shook my head through it, glaring at Mike. His eyes made the circuit from floor to ceiling, trying to avoid my furious gaze. Out of my periphery, I could feel both Bella's and Bree's eyes on me.

"Would you agree, Doctor Cullen?" Doctor Roberts asked.

I blinked and forced my eyes to him. "Excuse me, sir?"

He furrowed his brows.

"Edward appears to be a bit distracted at the moment," Bree cut in. "You can't really blame him though, can you? What with the…beauty by his side." She grinned wryly. "I think most of the men here are finding themselves a bit distracted this evening."

I'd known Bree since we were five years old. Over two decades of my life. In high school, Jess and Tanya and a few of the others girls used to whisper behind her back sometimes, even though they were her friends. They called her vain and snotty and spiteful, but girls were bitchy that way, and the fact that they were talking about her behind her back was to me, proof that they were simply jealous of her.

In college when we used to fight, she'd go days without speaking to me, and do little things to remind me of how upset she was, like leave in the morning without saying goodbye or finish up all the hot water in the evenings before I had a chance for my bath.

Funny how I'd forgotten about all that over the past few months, the past few years…

"Edward, Bella!"

Esme approached us. She wrapped one hand around my wrist while kissing me lightly on the cheek.

"You look so handsome son."

She turned to Bella. "Oh Bella how I wanted to be home while you were getting ready but I had to come here and help set up but oh my goodness don't you look absolutely lovely! Carlisle, doesn't she look lovely?"

My father shook my hand and Doctor Roberts' then turned to Bella with a soft smile. "She looks like an elegant dream."

"Is that vintage, Bella?"

"Yes, Esme," Bella grinned.

Esme nodded. "I knew it. I had a dress just like that when Carlisle and I first started dating. Do you remember it, Carlisle?"

Carlisle tapped his chin thoughtfully. "As a matter of fact, I do. It would be hard to forget that dress. I believe yours was red though."

Esme put a hand on my dad's shoulder. "You do remember! We danced to many a Bee Gees hit with me wearing that dress."

They both chuckled, gazing into each other eyes in silent conversation.

Esme sighed and turned to Bella once more. "Though I must admit you look a lot better in yours than I did in mine. Some of us aren't as blessed." She turned her eyes to Bree. "Bree darling, _you_ know what I mean," Esme chuckled again, deceivingly pleasant.

Bree visibly startled, and then turning red, simply nodded. This was the chief-of-staff and his wife, after all.

"Oh well. Some of us have it, and some of us…" my mom shrugged.

My dad placed a hand on my shoulder. "Son, leave the talk for the hospital," he winked, "and take Isabella out on the dance floor. A beautiful woman deserves to be shown off some. As for me, I think I'll go have a talk with the band now. I'm suddenly feeling nostalgic."

And with that, the chief of staff and his wife danced away, leaving us as suddenly as they'd appeared.

Doctor Roberts and his wife also took their leave, and still shocked, Bree turned to leave with Mike in tow. Before _he_ could get too far though, I clapped him on the shoulder and with a grin plastered on my face, leaned into him so that only he could hear me.

"Just so we're clear Mike, the next time I catch you looking at Bella you're going to lose those beady fucking eyes of yours." I backed up and clapped him – hard – a couple of times again. "Got it - _buddy_?"

He stared at me, ashen-faced. "Yeah. Uhm…got it."

"Good," I nodded.

I watched them leave, and then turned back to Bella.

She looked up at me and smirked, shaking her head. "Hoverer and her hovering."

I snorted. "Bella, I'm sorry about-"

"Anyway, I suppose Esme's way of resolving that was better than mine would've been. She's feeling threatened. We're really close here, Edward."

Her words hung in the air between us, and I knew they were true. Bree was lashing out because she felt threatened. And she felt threatened because…

Because perhaps she'd realized Mike wasn't what she wanted.

Because perhaps she'd realized the grass wasn't necessarily greener on the other side.

Because, having gotten some time and distance, perhaps she liked the man she saw in me now, the one Bella was slowly coaxing out after so many years.

If I did nothing, Bree would come back to me soon, I was sure of it. And then Bella would have fulfilled her duty, and I'd give her the money, and she'd leave. And I'd have the carefully planned future I'd spent my entire adult life planning.

I held Bella's gaze, looking into those deep brown eyes that had somehow – without even trying – woken something up inside of me, and I wondered if it could possibly be true that life imitated science. In the precise world of science, opposites attracted, likes repelled. The Laws of Physics stated that the chemical charge between two polar opposites created a bond that created matter that had once created the big bang – or something like that. What it all boiled down to was one thing – it was a bond that altered life as we know it.

Could you break that life-altering bond to hold on to a 'like' that had repelled you from day one?

And what about that polar opposite? What did it – what did _she_ – want? Did that polar opposite really want a life full of wandering, always searching for another polar opposite?

All these thoughts ran through my head in the five seconds that we stood there holding each other's gaze. In theory, it was all so easy.

And then they started playing a song – familiar to me because of my seventies-loving parents.

I grinned at Bella. "Ready for that dance?"

She searched my eyes for a split-second, and answered with a nod. I took her out on the dance floor and wrapped my arms around her waist - perfectly-sized for my hands – and she looked up and wrapped her arms around my neck while the lyric-less music played in the background. But like I said, I knew this well - thanks to my parents.

"_I know your eyes in the morning sun, I feel you touch me in the pouring rain.  
__And the moment that you wander far from me I wanna feel you in my arms again."_

I locked her in my gaze.

"_And you come to me on a summer breeze.  
__Keep me warm in your love and then softly leave.  
__And it's me you need to show._

_How deep is your love, is your love, how deep is your love?  
__I really need to learn."_

I moved my lips around the words as she gazed at me softly, and then she lowered her head to my chest, where my heart beat erratically. I dropped my head and whispered in her ear.

"_I believe in you, you know the door to my very soul.  
__You're the light in my deepest darkest hour; you're my savior when I fall.  
__And you may not think that I care for you, when you know down inside that I really do.  
__And it's me you need to show._

_How deep is your love, is your love, how deep is your love?  
__I really need to learn…"_

Slowly, she lifted her head, meeting my lowered one, our mouths and breaths so close, and when I took her bottom lip between mine she sighed into my mouth, and suddenly there was no band, there was no benefit, there were no doctors, no nurses, no Bree…

The music played on while our mouths and tongues danced with each other and our breaths mingled.

It was she that pulled away.

"I…I need some fresh air," she whispered, so low I had to strain to hear her. She broke away from me and walked quickly towards the tent's exit. I followed close behind.

"Bella," I called out once we were outside, away from the lights and the music and the voices. A few feet away, I vaguely saw Jake leaning against a car with his nurse settled closely between his legs. He looked up and gave us a curious glance, unwillingly looking away when Nessa kept talking to him.

Bella finally stopped and turned to face me, her beautiful face a mask of confusion. But then her forehead crinkled, and she looked beyond me just as I reached her.

"Bree followed us out," she stated flatly.

I turned around quickly and caught Bree emerging from the tent. She looked around and catching sight of us, simply stopped and stared. I sighed and turned back to Bella, but before I could say anything, someone just to the side of me tapped me on the shoulder.

Bella gasped. "No!"

"Are you _Doctor_ Edward Cullen?"

"Yeah," I automatically answered the tall, hugely muscular guy standing before me. "Who are you?"

In response, I received a fist to the jaw, and Bella's resounding screams behind me.

* * *

**A/N: Bum budum bum! And the plot thickens!**

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**Twitter: PattyRosa817**


	15. Chapter 15 Exes & Engagements

**A/N: One of my lovely readers has dubbed me the 'Cliffie Bitch' because of Tuesday's update. I've got to be honest – I LOVE the name. Thanks sweetie, 'cause I know you meant it with love. :)**

**I don't do it on purpose though guys (well, maybe sometimes). **

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for being so available and coming so cheap. (HA!)**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Ch. 15 – Exes & Engagements**

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**BPoV**

_Once when I was four, I stole an entire batch of chocolate chip cookies my mom had just baked and fed it to the neighbor's dog – which I wasn't supposed to be playing with because he could be a mean fucker sometimes. He bit my finger and I stuffed it in my mouth so I wouldn't have to look at the blood. When my mom asked where the cookies went I blamed Jamie. When she asked why I kept sucking on my finger I told her I'd poked it on a thorn. When the dog got the runs I looked the other way and whistled a happy tune. When my finger got infected it took me a full week to confess to my mom and then she rushed me to the doctor and I cried and squirmed and passed out when they stuck that huge needle in my thigh and it bled because I'd moved around too much._

_Jamie was laughing when I came to, but then he hugged me before flicking my forehead. And what was it that he said then? "Bella, Bella, Bella, what a wondrous web we weave…"_

_Little did you and I realize what a web we kept weaving; digging ourselves into a hole that no matter what, we'd eventually have to shovel out of. _

_**Why**__ did you dig us a deeper hole that night? Was it because you had to save face, or because you saw an opportunity and jumped on it, the way I had in that examination room a few weeks back? _

_Or was it for __**her**__? To force her hand?_

_I guess the ' why' doesn't matter so much at this point. What matters is the resulting aftermath. We got ourselves in so deep without having the slightest idea of what would be left in the end…_

OOOOOOOOOO

"Goddamnit Felix, get away from him!"

I jumped on Felix's back and wrapped my arms around his neck before he could sucker punch Edward again – who at the moment lay dazed and confused on the ground over his perfect little ass. It wasn't like I could just stand around while Edward got that perfect ass of his handed to him. That would be like standing around while someone vandalized "The David." Don't you go to jail or something for that?

Still, for all my hard work it was actually pretty sad how easily Felix pulled me off of him and settled me back on the ground with a solid thud.

"Oomph!" I cried through rattled teeth.

"I'll deal with _you_ in a minute," Felix threatened, though it accompanied a pretty salacious wink so I wasn't too worried – at least not about myself.

Why oh why had I thought it a good idea to shack up with such a hugely built undercover casino security officer back in Vegas?

"Get away from her," Edward growled. In the blink of an eye, he was crouched between me and Felix, fists up and ready this time. Felix snorted and reached back to deliver another punch.

"Fuck," I heard Edward exclaim lowly, mirroring my own feelings on the subject, but before Felix's fist could meet its pretty target, Jake grabbed Felix from behind, bending his arms behind his back.

"What the fuck, buddy!" Jake yelled. "What the hell is your problem?"

"This asshole's my problem!" Felix yelled back. "He better stay the fuck away from my fiancée!"

I know they say it's impossible, but I swear to you, the world stopped spinning for a couple of eons. Either way, Edward whipped around, his face a mask of total bewilderment.

"Felix?" he growled lowly at me, his breath rough and ragged. "As in Felix, the Human Chimney?"

I slowly moved my head up and down, while Edward straightened out of his crouch and glared at me in complete disbelief. And while I would've liked to explain, I had no idea where to begin. First of all, he had me locked in one of those uber-tension-filled gazes - you know the ones that are impossible to break. Second, I was super hyper-aware of not only Jake's totally baffled eyes moving between us, but friggin' Bree herself – who was now quickly approaching.

All in all, it was turning out to be quite the party.

"Let go of me, man!" Felix snarled. "I need to talk to my fiancée!"

I rolled my eyes. "Ugh, Felix, I am _not_ your fiancée!"

"I gave you a ring!"

"That I left on your nightstand!"

"When you disappeared in the middle of the night!"

"Which should've been a pretty clear answer for you!"

The whole time, Edward's eyes remained on me.

"There is no way in hell that Isabella's your fiancée." He spoke slow and clearly.

"And why the hell not?" Felix stormed at Edward, who had his back to him.

"Because she is _my_ fiancée."

Once again: The world? It froze.

Total and complete silence ensued – except for Bree, who gasped so loudly I thought her lungs may have imploded. I kind of wished they would've when Edward's eyes flashed her way for just a split second before returning to me.

"What do you mean she's your fiancée?" Felix howled. "I asked Bella to marry me two months ago!"

"I asked her six weeks ago - in Italy."

And suddenly the entire scene became perfectly clear. Edward was apparently still playing the game. That knowledge hit me like a ramming ball, but I remained perfectly still as he turned to face Felix squarely because I had no friggin' idea how to fill the gaps in this story, but that was okay, because apparently Edward was just fine flying solo on this one.

"We were in Florence, walking around the Boboli gardens when I realized I didn't want to live without her. So I knelt in front of the blooming flowers and asked her to marry me, and she accepted. We sealed the deal with a skinny dip in the Medici fountain, and since that was less than two months ago, I'd say that pretty much trumps _your_ proposal." He smirked.

"What?" Felix cried, glaring furiously at a wickedly grinning Edward. He struggled to free himself from Jake's vice grip. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I said I'm engaged to Bella."

"Yo bro, why didn't you tell me?"

"Edward? Edward, is that true?"

"Stop!" I hissed, shutting everyone up and bringing their attention to me. "Jake, let Felix go. Felix, you and I have to talk."

"No way in hell," Edward hissed.

"Yes way in hell," I cried, glaring at Edward. He glared back at me.

So much for the moment we'd just shared on the dance floor.

"I'm letting you go, buddy," Jake warned Felix, "but if you try anything stupid I'm coming for you."

Felix shook his arms off, glaring furiously at Jake, and nodded. Then he pulled out a smoke.

"Bella," Edward snapped, "I don't want you talking to him!"

"Edward, I didn't ask for your permission!" I responded in the same tone. I turned my back on all of them and pulled Felix by the arm until we were sufficiently far away so that no nosy bodies could hear.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded in a low voice.

Felix took a slow drag from his cigarette, his hulking dark frame towering over me. "You disappeared in the middle of the night."

"Yeah." I nodded vehemently for him to go on, because this much was obvious and already established.

He huffed on his smoke angrily. "I thought we had something. I thought we were getting married and-"

"Felix, I never said I'd marry you."

"But I gave you a ring."

"Which I never once accepted or wore! I left it on your nightstand!" I hissed through clenched teeth. My eyes trailed to Edward, who stood surrounded by Jake and his date. Jake appeared to be chewing his ear off, while Bree stood right at the fringe, obviously anxious to go to him. But at some point Mike had appeared, and I suppose she was still playing her own games. Her eyes moved to me, and we glared at each other until Felix demanded my attention again.

"Why did you do that? _Why_ did you just leave like that?" he demanded. He threw his cigarette on the floor and stomped it out.

I stared at his baffled face as he crossed his hugely muscular arms over his rock solid chest. The scent of Newports floated off of him and for a split second I remembered what it had felt like to have those arms around me, to rest on that powerful chest all tired and breathless after a session of pretty hot fucking sex. Then he'd invariably pull out a cigarette and blow out these cool little 'o's towards the ceiling. He'd taught me how to do it, and it had been _all_ good for a while, no lie. He was probably the best sex, as well as the closest thing to an actual relationship, that I'd ever had up to that point.

But then I'd felt the familiar _need_ to leave, that restlessness to keep going, because Felix and Vegas simply hadn't been enough - even though the guy was definitely well-endowed. But he'd wanted more, and I was ready to move on, so I just…did.

For the first time since doing so, I started thinking that maybe I hadn't handled things right with Felix.

"How did you find me?" I whispered to distract myself.

"I was on my way up to Vancouver for a job up there, and they asked me to stop off at this little rez next to here to check out some casino prospects. So me and this dude Seth Clearwater are having some beers and we start talking and somehow the convo turns to his buddy's girlfriend, who likes singing opera and talking to her clothes and shit,"

– he smirked and I rolled my eyes. I mean really, is that really that uncommon? –

"and she's got dark hair and this great bod" – I grinned smugly – "and the rest was easy enough."

I sighed, and then reached out and put a hand on his hello biceps. My eyes automatically flew to Edward. His eyes were still on me, almost black in the dark of night. I looked away.

"Felix," I began again, "I guess I could've handled things better. I should've told you I was leaving."

"But why?"

So I stood there and explained things to Felix the way I should've two months ago. I apologized for sneaking out in the middle of the night. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it, blowing out smoke as he asked me if I was sure; if there was any way he could change my mind, if I'd give him another chance. Finally, he stomped out his cigarette, hugged me tight, kissed my head and walked away into the night, pulling out another smoke as he went.

And then I looked over at Edward. He was sitting on the sidewalk by himself. I guess at some point Jake and his date, as well as Bree and Mike surprisingly, had disappeared. His bow tie lay limp and loose around his neck, his hair wilder than usual, and as I approached him, he stared at me impassively.

Funny how I didn't feel the restlessness this time, the _need_ to move on, but that didn't mean I could stay. Because I _couldn't_ play this game anymore, the one Edward had just upped to a whole new level. Somewhere along the way I'd apparently forgotten the lesson Jamie had once taught me – the one about being up front.

I couldn't be the bait anymore.

And so I took a deep breath and steeled myself for good-bye.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

She walked towards me slowly, eyes firmly on mine. Her feet were bare; the heels had come off and were being carried loosely in one hand. Her hair had come undone and cascaded like a waterfall around her shoulders, framing her pale face and making her look beautiful and sexy and so goddamned _vulnerable_. I could only stare as she sat next to me, looking warier than she had since I'd met her.

I looked away and tried to organize my thoughts; my feelings. My eyes fixed on the big white hospital straight ahead, and I sat rigidly even as that magnetic pull I was just beginning to understand fought to bring me closer to her.

"So are you going to tell me what that was all about?" I finally asked.

She was quiet for a long time, and just as I thought we were going to sit there all night without another word, she gripped the top of her hair and sighed, eyes firmly on her lap.

"I met Felix a few days after arriving in Vegas. He was undercover casino security and I'd been having a…nice run at the Blackjack table..."

"A nice run?" I questioned, looking back at her with a raised brow.

"Fine, fine," she lifted her head and rolled her eyes. "I was counting cards."

I smirked. "Go on."

"Well apparently that kind of stuff, while not illegal, is apparently highly frowned upon," - she pursed her lips while making air quotes - "so Felix escorted me out of the casino, and one thing led to another…"

I turned away, staring straight ahead again. "You were engaged to him."

"No. I was…staying with him and-"

"You mean you were _living_ with him," I hissed more forcefully than I'd meant to.

"Yeah," she replied just as forcefully. "I was _living_ with him, Edward. Not with his parents, and not to make his ex-girlfriend jealous."

I opened my mouth to retort, but nothing came out.

She snorted and looked away. "Anyway, after about three weeks I'd had enough of Vegas. I was ready to move on. I was gonna tell him I was leaving that night, but then he gets down on one knee and pulls out this ring" – she shuddered and shook her head – "but I never said yes."

"But you didn't say no," I clarified; all the while her words were circling around in my head.

'…_after about three weeks I'd had enough…'_

Three weeks. Was that her time limit in one place? She'd been in Forks for five weeks, so what did that mean then? Was I living on borrowed time here?

"No, I guess I didn't say no," she snapped, and then drew in a deep breath. "While he was sleeping that night, I picked up my stuff and…just left." She shrugged.

I focused my vision on the hospital again, on the way the moon illuminated its white walls in a bright glow.

"You women…are really something," I snorted, shaking my head. "You just unanimously decide when things are over; don't even give a guy some warning."

"What are you talking about?" she hissed.

I met her eyes again. "The way you just up and left. I mean, do you always do that? Just leave?"

"Yeah, Edward, I do," she grinned coolly, standing up and looking down at me. "I've got nothing and no one holding me back, so when I get bored and tired, I get up and leave, like I'm doing now."

She turned but I jumped up and grabbed her arm before she could walk away.

"No, Bella. You're not leaving."

"Yes. I am," she hissed, but she took a step closer, so close I could see the fire burning in her eyes. "You can take your fucking money and shove it, and you know what else? Don't ever fucking compare me to anybody. _I_ don't have a history with anyone. I never promised _anyone_ my future! _I_ don't owe anyone explanations or rain checks on some bullshit fate that went awry or unfulfilled dreams or empty promises because _I_ don't believe in any of that shit! Things _always_ go wrong and at least _I_ know that," she cried furiously, beating her breast with one fist, "and I will never _EVER_ be stupid enough to get married or have babies-"

I let go of her arm and grabbed her face between my hands, pulling her flush against me and shutting her up with my mouth on hers. And yeah, she fought me for a few seconds, still spewing away angrily while my lips struggled to silence her. But this fire, this burn between us couldn't be contained any longer, so when my tongue fought its way into her mouth she gave up on her rant, because she couldn't exactly bitch while her tongue tangled with mine. So I heard the sound of heels hitting concrete as she dropped her shoes and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her warm hands in my hair.

"Edward…"

"Bella…" I groaned into her mouth, completely undone by the way she breathed my name.

I can't say exactly how long we stood there, on display for the world to see in the middle of a brightly lit street. But I didn't care that the world was now my audience. I didn't know about the future at that moment, or how this – how _she_ - fit into the plans I'd made for my life. Yes, I'd heard what she'd said about never getting married or having kids, but all I knew right then and there was that I never wanted that kiss to end. I never wanted _this_ to end.

"What are you so afraid of Bella? What are you running from?" I murmured, kissing her face, her jaw, her neck while I let her catch her breath.

But she simply shook her head, her eyes shut tight.

The sound of approaching footsteps made me look up, and when I saw Jake and my parents approaching us with matching looks of surprise and wonder, I unwillingly pulled away from Bella. She lowered her head. I could feel the confusion coming off of her in waves.

"Sweetheart!" my mom cooed, grinning widely at me and grabbing my face in her hands. "I'm so happy for you!" She grabbed Bella's hand and turned to her. "I'm so happy for you both."

I blinked.

My father took my hand and shook it firmly. "Congratulations, son. Isabella, we'll be proud to have you as our son's wife."

Bella eyes widened in horror, and she started coughing violently.

"Mom, Dad, I think there's been some sort of-"

"Sorry bro," Jake said. "Bree went in and gave your parents a bit of a scare. But I explained to them how that dude was just an _old friend you guys seemed to have met in Italy_," he stressed through raised brows. "I also told them the part about the engagement 'cause I didn't know you guys hadn't shared that yet."

Fuck. Me.

"Mom, Dad, wait-"

"I'm thinking the first Saturday in August would be great for the engagement party. That'll give us enough time get everything ready. And Bella, you'll have to give me all your family and friends' addresses, so I can send out the invitations. Have you two picked a date?"

Bella and I simply stared at my mom, both of us speechless.

"Not yet? That's fine. We have plenty of time to decide that. Though I'm thinking a spring wedding would be nice. But that's _entirely_ up to you two. I won't say a word. But then we can decorate with tulips and lilies, though fall mums are pretty too if you want to go that way. And I suppose winter poinsettias are acceptable also."

Bella grabbed my hand in a vice grip. "Do something," she hissed quietly through clenched teeth.

"Mom, Dad-"

"There are a couple of nice halls in Port Angeles, though we can pop a tent like this one in our back yard and I think that would be lovely! But again, spring or summer would be best for that…" Esme prattled on and on.

"Excuse us for a moment," I said, pulling Bella away and leaving my mom to her wayward planning.

When we were a few feet away, Bella looked up at me, more horrified than I'd ever seen her.

"Edward, I can't do this."

"I know, Bella."

"I mean, our original agreement was one thing, but now this?" she squeaked. "I can't. I…I" – she fisted her hair in her hands.

"Shh, relax," I said, pulling her hands out of her hair. "We'll work it out."

"I can't stay here like this," she whispered. "I can't…play these games anymore."

I grabbed both of her hands inside mine. "Bella, I know things have gotten crazy, but please don't leave m- please don't leave like this."

She gazed at me warily.

"Look, I know you're confused right now. So am I. Let's just…take a breather," I exhaled heavily. "Let's take a break from all this. From Bree, from the…agreement. Let's just be Edward and Bella. Let's try to figure this thing out together," I pleaded.

I could tell she was scared; her body shivered, and her eyes were dark and wide. And frankly I was petrified too. But when I lifted a hand to her face and caressed her cheek softly, I couldn't deny the way it made my fingers tingle, or the way that tingling sensation reverberated throughout my entire body. And I could clearly see the same reaction in her.

"Please, Bella," I murmured. "Please don't leave."

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**A/N: Someday, I'll get back to all of your reviews, but I read them religiously and enjoy them all. So let me know what you're all thinking guys…**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**TWCS: Prose817**


	16. Chapter 16 Close & Closer

**A/N: So heart-fail plus one: it's the day after Robsten fans got their hearts broken. I'm hearing crazy things guys; fan fic stories being taken down, websites dedicated to Robsten coming down, mass hysteria, the end of the fandom as we know it! The cray cray has only just begun. Personally, I've always been a _Rob_ fan, so I just hope that either way, _he_ keeps his shit through this and comes out on top (literally). Ha!**

**Anyway, back to IP. We're very close to getting all our answers on Bella's past…**

**Ch. 16 – Close & Closer**

**Chapter Song Rec: _Lights_ by Ellie Goulding (it just kept running through my head, especially for the last part).**

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**BPoV**

_In my life, walking around without my guard up has always been a bad idea. You know enough about me now to understand why that's been the case. Still, despite all my reservations, despite all my doubts I let my guard down for you. I was willing to try, even though my entire life had taught me that good things don't last. But for you, I was willing to take that chance because when you said you needed me I took it literally. Conveniently, I simply forgot that need does not necessarily perpetuate love…_

_Maybe, just maybe, you should've been clearer…_

OOOOOOOOOO

"Bella, did you ever get together with Esme today?"

"Nope, I successfully avoided her," I grinned, fisting a pump in the air.

Alice chuckled. "She was looking for you to get your final measurements for the dress. Tanya's grandmother needs to get started if it's going to be ready on time."

I closed my eyes while the flames from the bonfire just a few feet away warmed my wet skin - and I silently cursed Edward to the deepest pits for this whole 'engagement' fiasco that almost a week later he _still_ hadn't taken care of.

We'd been swimming in the cool waters off First Beach for a couple of hours and now the girls and I were lying over a few large towels and drying off next to the fire the guys had built. It was late afternoon and Edward had to get to the hospital for another late shift and Rose and Emmett had to get to the restaurant.

I sighed. Though at first glance, First Beach may not have been as glamorous as Miami Beach, it was sweet and quiet and had some bad ass waves breaking on the shoreline, and the guys had been taken advantage of them; in fact, they were still in the water. The sound of their voices and laughter blended with the rolling waves and I tried to let it all calm my otherwise nutty nerves.

Those creatures in my belly - well their revolt had escalated into a full out coup I was still trying desperately to suppress, but now Alice and Rose were deep into the "dress" topic. I rubbed my nervous tummy and rolled my closed eyes, grateful for the nice and dark shades that hid at least half of the grimace on my face.

Not much had changed in the past few days since we'd agreed to put a hold on OGBB - at least not on the outside. I still stayed at Edward's parent's house, still hung out by the pool during the days with the rest of the guys while Edward spent his days at the hospital; I still went to visit him every afternoon. We'd eat our nice cold summer sandwiches in the quad, or if the mid-July sun was too hot we'd stay in the cafeteria.

We still spent the warm summer evenings together, though always surrounded by friends or family. Hot and heavy tongues the night of the benefit had quickly turned into chaste, unsure kisses because OGBB was on hiatus. What – or rather, _who_ – were our kisses for now?

I didn't know, and over the past few days, neither of us had made a move to clarify it. We'd gotten ourselves into some pretty deep shit lately, and neither of us seemed anxious to be the first to go get the shovel. Instead we chose to stick our heads in the sand and pretend this hadn't started out with him paying me to help him get his girl back and me accepting it to get me a trip to Tuscany. We ignored the fact that Esme was planning the engagement party of the century. And we ignored the fact that there was no real reason why I should still be here.

In other words, we pretended we weren't both a couple of totally clueless assholes.

And that's pretty much why we were at the beach right now and Rose and Alice were going on and on about "the dress" and I was doing my best to ignore them. So I got up and left them to their talk of dresses and engagement parties and made my way back into the water towards Edward, my...what: Friend? Boyfriend? And if the latter was true, then for how long? And how 'bout all those rules we'd set up for OGBB? Were they all null and void now? Was I expected to leave with the warm weather or to stick around longer?

And therein lay the other problem because I _never_ stayed. It was Rule Number One in the Handbook of Isabella Swan's Life: _Always_ move on; _never_ stay.

Oh well, I supposed it was time to start clearing things up because we couldn't both be chicken shits for the entire summer - though it would've been nice to try.

He was straddling his surfboard - his broad shoulders and chest golden from the afternoon of sun – and he grinned widely at me when I approached. His eyes took me in from top to bottom - the way they always did - and made those raging creatures in my belly jump with nervous anticipation. But there was something wary in his gaze too, like he knew we couldn't avoid the shovel forever and maybe he thought I was finally bringing it.

He patted the other end of the surfboard in invitation for me to sit, so I straddled it, imitating his laid-back pose.

"Hey Bells, you gonna surf?" Jake asked from a few short feet away.

I grinned, keeping my eyes on Edward. "Nah, I'm saving my kicks for cliff-diving."

Edward shook his head firmly from side to side, his jaw tightening. "It's not going to happen, Isabella."

"Come on, man," Jake chuckled, and Sam joined in. "Let her try it just once."

Edward's green eyes blazed in that way that went straight to my pelvic muscles.

"We can do it from a lower cliff, and you can hold my hand?" I offered, fluttering my eyelashes prettily.

"And I can be in the water to catch her in case-"

Edward's head whipped over to Jake so quickly that I was frightened he'd give himself whiplash, and then he leveled him with a steady glare, nostrils flaring.

"Or not…" Jake trailed off. Then he and Sam just sort of paddled away on their boards.

I smirked. Edward drew in a deep breath before bringing his eyes back to me.

"So did you like the beach?" he asked, his features slowly softening.

"Yup," I said. "The water's not as warm as Florida though."

"You've been to Florida?"

"_I've been everywhere man, looking for someone_, _someone who can please me…"_ I trailed off with a grin, whistling then humming the rest of the song as I moved my eyes to the setting sun.

He chuckled and followed my gaze. "You've got a song for everything."

"You know I do."

"Yeah, I do," he said quietly. Out of my periphery, I saw him bring his eyes back to me. "I…like knowing that about you. It gives me a clue into how you're really feeling."

I looked back over at him with a puzzled frown, and my breath caught because his eyes were sparkling brightly in the light of the setting sun, a hypnotizing emerald that actually reflected all the colors around us. I could see the sun and the water and unexplained emotions dancing around in them and you see? Just like that, any irritation I may have started to feel towards him disappeared when his eyes crinkled and sparkled like that.

He grinned crookedly at me. "You sing when you're happy, you whistle when you're nervous, you hum when you're scared…"

My heart drummed loudly in my chest. "And when I do all three?" I breathed.

"You're confused," he answered quickly.

More than a little dazed, I brought my eyes down to the dark water because I'd suddenly lost my train of thought, and damn it I was sure I'd come over here with the intention of talking to him about something specific, hadn't I? I drew concentric circles in the water with one finger, trying to clear my mind, but then I felt his fingers under my chin, trying to bring my head up.

"Bella…" he murmured.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

What _was_ I still doing here, playing a role I knew I wasn't qualified for? This was only supposed to be a temporary situation. That's all he'd wanted and that had been fine because that was all I could ever give. The concept of "permanency" had been foreign to me for years and years now, and other than my love for Jamie, that emotion had been equally unfamiliar.

So when exactly had I fallen in love with Edward Cullen?

I couldn't say exactly. Maybe it had been there all along, right smack in my face, growing little by little and day by day. But never having been there before, I hadn't recognized it for what it was until it was too late for my poor ignorant heart.

I looked back up at him, steeling myself against those sparkly fuckers, but it was as useless an effort as trying to not love him had become – as trying to accept that soon the summer would be over…

"So Hoverer's still in full hovering overdrive," I smirked instead. "She shoved some sample engagement party invitations into my face over the breakfast table yesterday morning, and then when I went out to the pool, she had some toothless old lady waiting to grope me and wrap some measuring tape around my boobs and ass."

"That would be Tanya's grandmother," Edward laughed. He dropped his hand from my chin and rested it on my bare leg, and there went the kegels again.

"So I've heard, and it's not funny!" I insisted, but seeing him laugh like that was another force I was powerless against, and soon I was chuckling along with him.

"I know, I know, you're right," he agreed, moving his hand up and down my leg and setting my skin on fire. I drew in a deep breath and watched him. He swallowed, and his expression changed, his eyes darkening again but in a totally different way.

"Bella," he murmured and smiled softly. "It's wrong of me not to set it straight, I know. And I know you're confused, and so am I…" – he raked a hand threw his hair and as well as he claimed to know me I knew him too, so I wrapped my hand around the one he had on my leg. "I don't want to have to explain everything right now." His eyes bore into mine pleadingly. "Right now, I just want to spend time with you without having to explain to everyone how all this started."

"It's just that…I may not be an expert Edward, but this is such a mess," I chuckled humorlessly, while his thumb kept tracing soothing circles around my leg.

"I know it is," he smiled sadly. "And I promise that _I_ will fix it all. But right now, let's just focus on figuring out what this is," – he waved a finger between both of us. "We'll deal with my hovering mom afterwards."

After what?

And though I was scared as hell, and though I felt like we just kept burrowing deeper and deeper into that hole, I held his gaze and nodded because I may not have been an expert at any of this, but I loved him; I'd accepted that much.

And I guess when you're in love, you're willing to accept much more.

OOOOOOOOOO

"So have you picked out a style for it yet?" Rose asked.

We were at the restaurant the following night. Edward was at the hospital again for another late shift. I probably wouldn't see him again until sometime tomorrow afternoon because he'd go home to his apartment to sleep for a few hours before coming to see me. So we were hanging out in the kitchen while Rose and Emmett prepped and Alice and Jasper prepped in the front. _I_ had a very important job tonight too – entertaining the little dude and guess what? He was coming home with me _again_ tonight.

Brady was cooing in my arms, making his strange little nonsensical sounds and playing with my hair and making it quite easy for me to ignore his mother's latest enquiry.

"Bella?" Rose said, chopping away on her cutting board and apparently unaware that I was purposely turning a deaf ear to her while I whistled a happy tune to myself. Brady gazed up at my puckered lips and just stared at them for a moment before reaching out and grabbing them between his stubby little fingers.

"Ow kid! Chill out!" I chuckled, my words garbled because my lips were being seriously twisted here.

"Come on, Bella," Rose insisted. "I know it's a hard decision but-"

I drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly and moved Brady to my hip, where he couldn't reach my lips.

"You know what? I've got a better topic of convo. It's been circling around and around in my head for a few days now." I made a circular motion over my head in illustration and Brady watched me carefully. Then he reached up and started sorta patting my head.

"Why don't any of you guys ever say one single solitary word to Bree?"

Rose's cutting instantly stilled, then resumed double-time. She was actually pretty scary with that knife there - in a cool kind of way.

"Well?" I asked, when she still hadn't answered.

"She's a bitch, Bella. You know this," Rose stated flatly, not looking up.

"I won't dispute that claim," I muttered, and then not being able to resist how rich and red and yummy the tomatoes in that veggie mix she was chopping up looked I reached out and grabbed one and stuck it in my mouth. Rose slapped my hand away.

"Ow!" I laughed.

"But you all grew up knowing each other," I continued thirty seconds later. I saw Rose roll her eyes. "Seems kinda strange…" I shrugged and reached out quickly, snatching a couple more tomatoes.

"Bella, stop!" Rose hissed.

I chuckled and stuck one in my mouth and generously let Brady lick the other one.

"Anyway, it's not my place," Rose blurted after a couple of minutes of silence. By then I'd thought I wasn't going to get anything from her.

"Aha!" I picked up Little Dude's hand and made him slap me five. "So now we're gettin' somewhere. Spill it, girl. What was it? Did she give you her evil eyes? Did she send back one of her salads and claim it had too much dressing? I've got it!" I cried loudly, and then kinda felt bad when I made the little dude startle. I snapped my fingers and pointed at Rose. "She and Mike under-tipped, didn't they? They look like _flaming_ under-tippers," I snarled lowly, moving in to share my discovery with a wide-eyed Brady. He totally agreed with me by the way. Well, he mumbled something indiscernible, but I could tell we were of a like mind on this.

Rose set down her hugely intimidating knife and sighed, _finally_ bringing her blue eyes my way. "Bella, it's not anything she did to _us_, it's what she did to Edward. It was just…" – she huffed – _wrong_."

"You mean because she broke up with him?" I questioned. "But Hoverer and Carlisle still speak to her-"

"No, not because she broke up with him," Rose said slowly, meeting my gaze intently, but Brady started fussing just then, which meant he was tired and was my cue to take him home. "Bella," – Rose's voice was softer now – "It's not my place to say, or else I swear I'd tell you. But you're going to have to go to Jasper for this."

I nodded and swallowed thickly while I rocked the little dude in my arms, but inside, I kinda wished I would've just stuck to the topic of the dress.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

I was a goddamned coward.

For days I'd been avoiding talking to Bella. I mean, of course I _talked_ to her; I spent every moment that I wasn't at the hospital or sleeping – or in transit to one of the two - with her. When she'd agreed to stay – though I had no idea for how long – I'd been extremely…relieved. The last thing I'd wanted to do was rock the boat by going into the sordid details on how all this had begun. I didn't want to deal with all the ensuing explanations – not yet. So instead day after day I let everyone believe Bella and I were engaged while I buried my head in work and the hospital, even though I knew that what Bella _deserved _were answers, clarification about what the hell was going on now. But how do you clarify something you don't completely understand yourself?

I mean, was it that simple – to just throw away the last ten years of my life, to throw away a perfectly mapped out future for one with absolutely no plan, no layout, no assurances? And what's more, I had _no_ idea what Bella wanted and having always been a planner, I needed to know _exactly_ what I saw in my future before Bella and I finally had a real talk. She deserved that much.

Therefore I came into the hospital night after night and smiled at Julia's and the other nurses' congratulations, and accepted the pats on the back from the other doctors, and avoided Bree and her confused stares. And like the chicken shit that I'd quickly admit to being, I let Bella deal with my mother and the rest of my family.

Yup, I wasn't proud of it, but for a few days there I did a pretty good job of avoiding everything.

But then the next thing I knew, the twenty-four year old woman from Hoquiam was lying on the hospital bed as we all surrounded her, and I had to call her death at one fifty-six in the morning because she was the victim of a drunk driver and we'd tried our best but…

She'd been driving home with a couple of her girlfriends, and she had long, dark hair and pale skin and maybe it was just my mind but the resemblance was so uncanny that my voice had shaken when I'd called her death.

After speaking to her parents, I leaned against the window frame outside of the room where we'd tried saving her and removed my cap, turning it over and over and just staring at it, as if it could somehow provide me with answers; how someone so young and full of life could leave the world so suddenly, why my heart almost leapt out of my throat when I'd first laid eyes on her long brown hair, why I wanted nothing more right then than to be with Bella - and why though I may not have _all_ the answers just yet, I suddenly knew this much: I'd _always_ want her in a way I'd never wanted _anyone_ in my life.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up at my father.

"Edward, why don't you head home? We've got enough attendants covering-"

I shook my head. "Thanks Chief, but I've got patients to make rounds on."

My dad smiled grimly. "Alright, son. I'll be around if anyone needs me."

I nodded, and then walked away to change my bloodied scrubs.

"Edward."

I hesitated before turning around.

"I heard what happened. I'm sorry," Bree murmured, her expression solemn.

I nodded.

"It's…the first patient you lose since coming back from Vermont, right?"

I moved my head up and down silently.

"Do you…want to talk about it over a cup of coffee or something, doctor to doctor?"

I stared at her, studying her serious eyes and her perfect shoulder-length hair and her professional suit. Was it just a few short weeks ago that I would've jumped at the opportunity she was offering? A cup of coffee or something; _anything_. The thing was I'd always assumed that I needed someone just like myself to make me happy; someone with the same goals, with a similar outlook on life, someone who possessed equal rigidness and practicality in all aspects of life.

Maybe…maybe what I'd needed all along was someone to temper my rigidness, to challenge my practicalities. I'd always had the tight-assed prick inside me, but maybe I didn't need someone to perpetuate him…but to balance him.

No, I still didn't know it all. I just knew that Bree wasn't the one I wanted to talk to, to share this ache with right now.

I shook my head and offered her a tight smile. "Thanks, but I've got to go change and finish my rounds."

Disappointment flickered in her eyes, but she smiled back. "Alright Edward, but if you need to talk, I'm here."

She hadn't been there though, for a hell of a long time even, before we broke up. But now wasn't the time or the place, so I simply nodded once again and walked away.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Edward?" Her voice was rough and husky from sleep because it was four in the morning.

"Bella." I closed my eyes and swallowed thickly, unable to speak.

"Edward is everything okay?"

"I'm in the back yard. Can you come out?"

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"As in, right now?"

"Yes, Bella." She was silent. "Please."

When she didn't answer I dropped my head and fisted my hair. I knew this was crazy but I'd been so goddamned full of raw _need_.

So when I looked up and she was there, I exhaled heavily through narrowed lips, relief flooding my limbs as I gazed at her.

She stood a few feet away in her Suns jersey and little white socks, her hair messy from sleep and so unbelievably _beautiful. _ I _finally_ understood what people meant when they said 'she took my breath away,' because my heart beat out a disjointed rhythm as I gazed at the most perfect vision ever. I didn't want to waste another moment, so I quickly took the few steps and took her by the waist, kneeling over the grass and bringing her down with me and straddling her over my thighs. She gazed down at me, wide-eyed and startled.

"I _don't_ have the answers to everything," I confessed breathlessly, "and Jesus I wanted to have all the answers for you, Bella. But I know I need you. I know that much."

She wrapped trembling hands around my face, breathing shakily. "Edward, I _can't_ be your fairy-tale."

"I don't need a fairy-tale." I shook my head emphatically. "I just need you. _Please_," I pleaded, tightening my hold on her waist, "I just need _you_."

She searched my eyes, her dark ones penetrating mine and she must've found something because she nodded quickly and pulled my mouth to hers and parted her lips, allowing my anxious tongue in. I brought her body flush against me and we kissed with a frenzied passion I'd never known before while our bodies danced against each other, hungry for what had always been inevitable.

Because I saw that now too - from the moment she'd walked into that examination room, we were always going to end up here.

I wanted to take her and make her mine right then and there, but I owed her better than that. Bella deserved a real relationship, not one based on lies and inane agreements. I knew she was scared; I knew she had her own demons and I'd let her share them with me at her own pace, and maybe then...

Maybe then we could make this summer last forever.

OOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**A/N: Now we head into the nitty gritty guys.**

**And for those of you still reeling over Cheatergate, take a deep breath. The Pretty will come through this with his head held high, and he deserves better, js.**

**Let me know your thoughts...**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' on facebook can be found on my profile, if you are at all inclined.**


	17. Ch 17 Combustion & Calls

**A/N: I know. It's been a while. I'm going to try to complete this story by the end of the month, since it is a summer story, but we shall see. I don't see it going past mid-September at the latest though.**

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for being such a great and speedy beta. All tardiness is entirely my fault.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Ch. 17 Combustion & Calls**

_When will you get the picture?  
You're the past, I'm the future.  
Either way, it's my turn to shine.  
If you didn't know, the boy is mine_. - "The Boy is Mine" by Brandy and Monica

* * *

**BPoV**

_I'd never felt what I felt for you, and so I confused the signs. I thought what I saw in your eyes was the same as love, but not being an expert at any of this…I suppose I read them wrong. Need, want, and then after you found everything out, pity – I guess that's what I saw. _

_But don't feel sorry for me anymore. You know me better than anyone – even Jamie – ever has. You know I'll be okay…_

OOOOOOOOOO

The thin sheen of moisture etched between the lines on Edward's forehead was one of the only signs that his stamina was being greatly tested here. The other sign was the way his white t-shirt clung to his heaving chest and shoulders - sticky sweat outlining every defined dip and groove. We'd been going at it for a while now, and while I was panting and exhausted and having a hard time catching my breath, Edward was just _not stopping!_ With every go, he thrust harder, and the muscles in his arms and shoulders flexed deliciously. I watched mesmerized by such an exquisite display of endurance. I'd been amazed he'd been ready for yet another and another go so quickly, but at the same time so _uber_-grateful because though _I_ may not have been able to work up the strength anymore, I was sure as hell enjoying it, and if _he_ was able and willing to do all the work for the both of us, then I wouldn't complain.

With a loud grunt, he thrust forward again, hitting just the right spot and I hissed and sucked in a ragged breath - the reverberations from the force making me shudder. My adrenaline spiked, sending my heart racing, and when the bell rang, I closed my eyes and exhaled unevenly, exhausted - and beyond satisfied.

"Congratulations, Sir!" the strange, round man bellowed, "You've just won your lady our top prize!"

"Woohoo!" I squealed in delight, launching myself at Edward, who dropped the hammer and as exhausted as he appeared managed to pick me up and hold me against him, wrapping his arms around me tightly. "You won, you won, you won!" I cried over and over, raining kisses onto his delectably sweaty neck and enjoying the saltiness. "You won me another giant teddy bear!"

We were at the annual Forks Summerfest, and for the past couple of hours we'd been having a grand ole time!

I pulled back just enough to find Edward's mouth and give him a proper thanks and proceeded to plant what I swear were just meant to be little soft kisses on his lips, but somebody's eager tongue came out to play, and _I_ couldn't be blamed when soft little kisses turned into a pretty clear case of PDA. I giggled after a few moments and with a final tap kiss pulled away, knowing public displays weren't his thing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where are you going?" he asked huskily, green eyes crinkling in amusement. His arms tightened around me, hands splayed across my lower back and fingers pressed into the lower groove of my spine. "I just won you your _fourth_ giant teddy bear of the night," he emphasized. "I think that merits more than just a thirty second peck." His mouth turned up in that crooked grin that I so so loved – along with everything else about him.

I smirked, but yeah, inside my heart was swelling. "Oh, so now I have to pay for it? What kind of boyfriend are you?" I teased.

"The kind that just spent ten minutes pounding a steel tower with a fifteen pound hammer, all to win you that hot pink teddy bear you just _had to have -_ you're damn right you gotta pay for it," he growled lowly - and then captured my mouth with his again so quickly I gasped before chuckling open mouthed -a situation he took perfect advantage of when he shoved his tongue into my mouth once more.

See, Edward was my boyfriend now.

_My_ boyfriend!

Yeah, Bree was still around, but I ignored her and pretended she'd never existed – at least not in relation to how Edward and I had come about. I tried not to let myself worry about how we'd eventually explain it all, including the engagement party for a non-existent engagement. I tried not to sweat where we'd end up once this summer was over because Edward _promised_ me we'd work it out and as friggin' insane as it was, I _trusted_ him. It was the _love_ thing working it's crazy voodoo - I _knew_ it, because the last person I'd ever loved and trusted was Jamie, and he'd never let me down, and in Edward's arms, I couldn't picture him doing so either. He said OGBB was no longer in effect; not simply on hiatus, but over, kaput, finished, and God how I wanted to believe that.

But how do you simply decide one day that you no longer want the prize you'd been after for almost a decade? How do you give up on what you'd considered to be your fate?

I trusted him though – really I had not choice because he had my heart - and though I may not have been an expert at _any_ of this, I vaguely remembered Jamie going on about something regarding honesty being the best policy and all that, which I guess meant that if I wanted Edward to be honest with me, _I_ had to be honest with him. I had to tell him about the real Bella, and though the prospect scared me, I knew I had to do it soon, it was only fair. And maybe once all was said and done, even if I could never be his fairy-tale, maybe, just maybe, I could be something that made him happy enough.

I hoped.

"You know everyone's watching us," I warned him, our mouths still moving against the other. My eyes scanned the area, and I caught a few people - some familiar, some not - staring at us and openly checking out my hot, sweaty boyfriend. I couldn't exactly blame them, so I just gave'em a grin until Edward demanded my full attention again.

"Hey, don't try to get out of this," he smirked, shaking his head but making sure his lips stayed firmly planted on mine. "Your thanks has to last at least as long as it took me to win that thing."

So I shrugged and parted my mouth again because hey, fair was fair, and then we simply stood there, in the middle of Forks' Square with bright lights and loud carnival music all around us, giving our own little show until someone - the owner of the carnival game, I assume – shoved the giant hot pink teddy bear between us, and we chuckled and begrudgingly took it as our cue to get the show on the road.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Where am I supposed to carry one more stuffed animal?" Edward complained over by the Darts stand.

"Oh please, please?" I begged, fluttering my eyelashes prettily and bouncing up and down.

He dropped the bears he'd been holding and put his hands on my shoulders, holding me in place. Edward didn't seem to be a big fan of my bouncing - I think it made him nervous or something – but he was a big fan of my fluttering eyelashes.

"Fine, fine, fine." He rolled his eyes, and after a few tries I was the owner of a long, pink and brown stuffed boa constrictor. I wrapped it proudly around my neck, like a pretty scarf. It was quite the fashion statement.

We rode the Ferris wheel three times, and Edward kissed me all the way up on top where the moonless sky encroached on us from all sides. Up here, it was so easy to believe that we were the only two people in the world, and as I gazed at his beautiful face so close to the sparkling stars, my heart felt close to bursting. I would've been perfectly happy staying up there forever.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Cotton Candy, Bella?" Edward's lips twitched. "Don't you think maybe the candy apple and taffy were enough of a sugar rush for you?" We were walking around aimlessly, our pinkies linking us together.

"There's no such thing as enough of a sugar rush and besides, you can't go to a carnival and not have cotton candy!" I complained. "It'd be like going to a bar and not having a beer!"

"God forbid," he said dryly.

"Please?" I begged, turning to face him and fluttering the lashes again.

He sighed heavily and leveled me with that sexy glare of his before pulling out his wallet. I grinned and snatched the money, pecking him on the lips before turning back to the snack stand where I got two rolls of cotton candy, one blue for me and one pink for Edward. I knew once he tasted it he'd agree with me about the whole cotton candy thing, but when I paid and turned around, Bree and Mike were in line, a couple of people behind me.

I stuffed a huge piece of spun sugar in my mouth, enough to cover my whole face as I walked by them. "Fucking one horse town," I muttered to myself.

Edward reached out and took my hand, knitting all his fingers with mine when I approached him. "You okay?" he asked. I could tell by his uncomfortable little grin that he'd seen what, or rather _who_, I'd seen.

I drew in a deep breath and nodded, returning his grin with a huge grin of my own, because I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable, and I refused to let _her_ ruin our night. Bree was the past, and hopefully…I'd be the future.

And then with a teddy bear secured under each one of our arms and with my boa around my neck, we walked away.

OOOOOOOOOO

We were at the makeshift parking lot – a grassy field the town of Forks had set up for tonight's events – because though the carnival was still in full swing Edward had to be at the hospital in half an hour. Living in such a small town definitely had its downsides, like bumping into your boyfriend's ex-girlfriend – who obviously still had a thing for him, by the way – at almost every friggin' turn. The upside of a small town? The hospital was just down the block so we'd been able to stretch out the evening as long as possible. Then we'd packed everything into the truck so I could go home with the four teddy bears, the boa constrictor, a couple of extra candy apples and the leftover cotton candy.

Right now? I had Edward pressed up against me. He'd taken me by surprise when he'd practically slammed me against the driver's side door and started kissing me wildly while the rest of the small population of the tiny town played less exciting games down at the carnival.

"Edward…" I breathed, losing my hands in his hair while his mouth kept moving with mine. "Edward…"

The kiss suddenly changed, slowed down but at the same time became oh so sensual. All of a sudden he plunged his tongue all the way in again and these yummy little noises escaped from the back of his throat, sort of the sounds you'd make while swallowing down the most delicious drink of water after being lost in a desert for days. I squirmed against him, moaning quietly when his cock pressed against my stomach. We hadn't gone beyond this yet, so when Edward crouched slightly and lined himself up just right and then moved against me, I was a little surprised – and a lot elated.

It was the last weekend in July. The stars were dancing and the air was cool, but the world was suddenly nothing more than vague sounds, lights and colors. Everything took a far second-place to the beautiful man finally touching me the way I'd _always_ wanted him to touch me; his hands caressed my scalp and my face tenderly before trailing down to my neck, and then lower still, ghosting gently over my breasts. I shuddered when his mouth moved down to my neck, and his hands cupped my backside.

"You know," I chuckled huskily, raising my head to give him better access, "there are these wonderful little things called beds that were invented for just this type of activity."

"Are there?" he questioned, nipping my earlobe and squeezing my ass.

"Mhm," I managed to breathe, completely lost in the sensations he was stirring in me and not giving one single fuck that we were out in the open. His hips suddenly stilled in their delectable movements.

"No," I said breathlessly, moving against him and seeking the friction I'd just lost. "Don't stop. _Please_."

Edward gazed at me through dark, hooded eyes, his chest heaving as much as mine.

"There's this great restaurant in Port Angeles where the food's really good, and…I was thinking you might enjoy the change of atmosphere." He gave me a soft kiss.

My chest heaved.

What the fuck? A restaurant? He stopped to talk about a restaurant?

"And there's a really nice hotel…I thought maybe we could go next weekend when I'm off and you know, make a night of it."

It took me a few seconds to get what he was saying, and then my first thought was that I _so_ did not want to wait a whole other week before Edward finally fucked me. I rested my head against the driver's side window and played with the hair at the nape of his neck while I tried to recover the power of speech.

"I gotta be honest here, Edward," I panted, "if you want dinner we can just break out the candy apples while I lift my skirt here and we'll be good to go. As a matter of fact, you're right, I don't need more sugar, so let's just skip the dinner portion of the event and go straight to the f-"

He chuckled and shut me up with a quick kiss. "Bella, I have to be at the hospital in fifteen minutes."

"That gives us ten minutes - more than enough time."

"I'm sweaty, and I smell like a logger."

"I love your manly scent."

"Bella, we're out in the open here."

"I know," I grinned, "Isn't that exciting?"

He rolled his eyes. "Bella, I'm not going to make love to you for the first time in the middle of a makeshift parking lot."

And once again - me? Speechless, because making love? MAKING LOVE?

"I'm saying I want to take you out on a real date. You deserve a real date; a really nice night."

I swallowed thickly, holding his gaze. "But that's a whole other week, Edward. I don't know if I can wait a whole other week without spontaneously combusting," I grinned.

He smirked. "You're not going to spontaneously combust."

"How can you know for sure?" I asked. "I've heard these things actually happen."

"They don't, or else I would've already combusted a few weeks ago," he grinned lopsidedly.

I pursed my lips petulantly, not sure if I was happy with the turn of events. I mean in theory, making love at a nice hotel as opposed to fucking against a truck in a dark field sounded nice and all, but was it worth the extra wait? I couldn't know, but then Edward's eyes crinkled and he grinned crookedly as if he could read my mind, and yeah, I was a goner when he looked at me like that.

"Oh okay," I huffed, dropping my hands to the side. "We'll go on a stupid date first."

He chuckled and kissed my nose, resting his forehead against mine. "I'm sorry if the idea sounds stupid," he smiled sheepishly, "or boring and unnecessarily old-fash-"

This time I cut him off with a kiss, sucking on his sugar-sweetened lips as I pulled back.

"It doesn't sound stupid or boring," I murmured begrudgingly, and then grinned. "And while it may be just the teeny tiniest bit old-fashioned," I admitted, pinching my thumb and forefinger together, "it's also _uber_-romantic." I bit my lip thoughtfully. "I've never been wined and dined before I was sixty-"

I cut _myself_ off this time, but Edward smirked knowingly.

"Though now the anticipation alone may kill me," I went on quickly, "and then you'll have no one but yourself to blame when I do spontaneously combust, and along with everything else we have to explain, you'll have to add a reason for why I exploded to the l-"

And once again, he employed my favorite method for shutting me up.

He snorted and pulled away from my mouth. "So you think you may spontaneously combust, do you?"

"I think it's definitely within the realm of possibility," I answered in mock seriousness, and then laughed.

But Edward didn't laugh in return. Instead, his eyes locked on mine intently, and after a few long moments he simply nodded. The smirk fell from his lips and suddenly my tummy was jumping.

"We wouldn't want that to happen, would we?"

His voice was low and rough, and all at once I felt a spine-tingling sensation, as if I was a little kitten being cornered by a very beautiful, yet very hungry lion, and while the cool night breeze lifted my long skirt, Edward held me trapped in his heady gaze. The evening's draft crawled up and around my calves, shadowing my bare skin with such light traces that I gasped at the realization that the breeze was no breeze at all, but rather Edward's fingers trailing up my thighs.

His eyes locked on mine while cool fingers slowly ghosted higher and I gripped his shoulders, not daring to breathe because if his fingers were headed where I thought they were headed…but when one finger ghosted smack over the middle of my panties my breath hitched uncontrollably, and I closed my eyes, feeling Edward lean further into me, covering my body with his. His finger grew firmer, and he traced the most delicious circles over my panties, and I could feel the moisture building. I grabbed on to him tighter, afraid I'd lose my balance.

He kissed me softly, a few feather light kisses that I couldn't even respond to. "Is this okay?" His voice was rough and shaky all at once.

I think I may have managed some weird, erratic head movements as confirmation, but thank God he understood them because the one finger was quickly joined by a couple more, and soon it was a full on massage against my wet panties.

"_Oh_," I whimpered, and Edward's tongue darted into my mouth.

"Mm," he moaned softly, as if he'd just tasted the most delicious dish ever, "you're so wet, Bella."

Oh. My. God. Another whimper. Me? Mush. Pure. Squishy. Hot. Mush. Oatmeal maybe.

Whatever I was, Edward swallowed it up with his kisses, holding me up with his body while I fisted the hair at the back of his head. My eyes opened languidly, just enough to catch him gazing down at me through dark, hooded eyes. They widened momentarily as he scanned the surrounding area, and then, satisfied we were sufficiently alone, he went back to his rubbing, and I closed my eyes again. When I felt his fingers slip under my panties I think I may have cried actual tears. And then he stopped.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this out here," he murmured, eyeing me carefully.

I was hit by the sharpest pang of disappointment EVER. It morphed instantly into almost blinding fury, and I stuck my own hand under my skirt and grabbed Edward's fingers.

"I swear to God if you stop now, I will break every finger on your hand."

The surprise on his face quickly morphed into a lopsided grin. "I was just teasing," he chuckled lowly.

"Don't ever tease like that so close to a woman's clit unless you want to die."

He was still chuckling when he slid one finger inside me, but I didn't care, because the world suddenly brightened and disappeared all at the same time.

"So soft," he murmured in my ear as he pumped in and out maddeningly slow and the rest of his hand cupped and massaged me. With the hand I still had over his, I showed him how I liked it, how I needed it. And then I helped him slide another finger in while I tried not to cry out too loudly.

"This is just a taste, Bella," he whispered hoarsely, swallowing my sounds with his mouth. "Just a taste to keep us both from exploding." I simply nodded helplessly and when I came he pumped quicker, until my legs turned to jelly, and he removed his hand and wrapped me in his arms tightly.

Was it in poor taste to tell a guy for the first time that you loved him right after he'd fingered the hell out of you?

I had no idea. I was no expert at this; I'd never told a guy I loved him, period. So just in case, I figured I'd keep it for later even though I hoped Edward could see it in my eyes when I looked up and kissed him and saw something that maybe, just maybe was similar to what I was feeling.

OOOOOOOOOO

Jasper was in front of the TV when I got home, and Alice was fast asleep across his lap.

"Didn't you guys go to the fair?" I asked him, plopping down on one of the comfy chairs opposite them.

He shrugged. "Ally and I went for about an hour or so. After a while, we got bored and came home. It's the same year after year, Bell. And besides," he grinned wickedly, "the house was empty."

I narrowed my eyes but grinned back. "I guess that's why my poor girl's knocked out."

"You know how we Cullen men do," he smirked.

No, I didn't really, but he didn't know that, and well, at least after the parking lot a few minutes ago, I now had a better idea. So I simply smirked back.

We watched TV in comfy silence for a while, but in the back of my mind, I had some questions brewing…

"Hey," Jasper suddenly turned to me again, "mom was looking for you earlier."

"What else is new?" I muttered with a roll of my eyes.

Jasper chuckled. "She said those invites she sent out for the party next week came back undeliverable. She thought maybe she'd taken down the address you gave her incorrectly."

I frowned and bit my lip. I'd assumed the house was still there…

Edward had been willing to explain everything to his family and friends a couple of weeks ago, but then suddenly _I'd_ panicked. How pissed off would they all be once they knew I was such a liar? Jasper and Alice, and Rose and Emmett? And Jake? I wasn't ready yet to find out, so I'd begged him to keep it all on the down low for a little longer, but every day we got closer to the engagement party of the century, and invites had gone out, and now the stupid address had apparently changed, and was it even worth it at this point to find a fake address for a fake invite?

"I actually spoke to Jamie and my parents earlier today," I said. "They won't be able to come anyway."

"That sucks," Jasper spit out. "So none of your peeps'll be here?"

"S'okay," I shrugged, "I don't mind." I knew this was probably the best time to change the subject. "Hey Jasper, I want to ask you something." I glanced at Alice. She was curled up in a fetal position, her head facing the sofa, snoring quietly. "Why do you hate Bree so much?" I didn't happen to mention that it was Rose that had led me to him.

He stiffened in his seat. "What do you mean?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

I swallowed. "I mean, other than for the fact that Bree broke up with Edward, why don't you like her?"

At first, he simply stared at me, unblinking, and I thought I was going to have to rephrase the question, let him know that I knew that something was up, keep at him 'til he broke, but all of a sudden he blinked, and the whole story poured out.

"So you never told him?" I asked after I'd gotten the whole sordid story.

Jasper shook his head, while Alice remained knocked out next to him, but I was sure she knew the deal already. Apparently they all did, except for Edward and his parents.

"I was going to," he said, his voice laced with undeserved guilt. "But I wanted to do it in person and I had to go back to school. I had a short break coming up, and I figured I'd take the drive to him, but the next thing I heard was that they'd broken up anyway, so I convinced myself there was no point in dredging it up anymore. I didn't realize he'd…taken it so hard," he said, looking at me sheepishly. I smiled at him. "When Emmett told me that Ed still hadn't gotten over the break up, I decided I _would_ tell him." Jasper's voice had taken on an angry determination, but then his features seemed to soften, "and then he came home with you," he grinned. "After that, I didn't see the point anymore."

I bit my lip. On the outside, I tried to remain calm, but the truth was I wanted to rush down to that hospital and beat the ever living shit out of _both_ Bree and Mike - one for being such a faithless bitch, and the other for being such an underhanded slimy asshole.

And Edward.

She'd _never_ deserved him. I saw that now.

"Does Bree know that you saw her coming out of Mike's place that night?"

Jasper shook his head and then just let it hang, hands clenched together tightly in front of his parted legs. "I was just going to drop by and say hi to him, you know? I mean, he used to hang out with my brothers all the time, used to always be over here so I figured I'd just stop in quickly before going back down to school. And then they walk out together, and he's got his arms wrapped around her waist, and she turns around and…" he shook his head quickly, unwilling to finish. "I know I should've told him, but he's my brother, and I didn't want to hurt him even more, and he has you now. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he muttered guiltily.

I got up and sat next to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and hating Bree even more because not only had she betrayed Edward, she'd caused Jasper so much unnecessary guilt, carrying around the weight of this knowledge and not knowing what to do with it. I suddenly felt so protective of Jasper - like he was _my_ little brother…_my_ family. Funny how I hadn't had that feeling in decades.

"Hey," I said firmly, backing away so he could see how serious I was, "don't you dare feel guilty. _You_ didn't do anything other than try to protect your brother's feelings the best way you knew how."

He nodded quietly and looked up at me with glassy eyes he tried to blink away. "Thank God he found you in Italy, Bella."

I smiled tightly. How much would they hate me when they found out the truth?

Alice suddenly stirred over on Jasper's other side, and she sat up slowly, her blue eyes wide and too aware for someone who'd just woken up.

"Bella, are you going to tell Edward?" It was obvious she'd heard at least most of our convo.

I drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. What the fuck was I going to do with this unwanted knowledge now? I was no expert. Was it my job to confront her, or to tell Edward that their almost ten year relationship had meant even less to her than he'd even imagined? And if I did, would I be doing it for the right reasons? Or would I do it to finally rid myself of the deeply rooted fear that I barely even let myself acknowledge: that somewhere deep inside, Edward still wanted her back.

"I don't know, guys," I finally whispered, and then stretched my arms out and wrapped them both in them. "I don't know."

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

I stretched my arms out and folded them behind my head, hearing bones in my shoulders and wrists crack as I strained them and took advantage of a few minutes between patients to reenergize. It had been a long night, but this was the last of my night shifts for a while at least. When I finished up this morning, I'd have the rest of the day and the entire night off before I had to be back at the hospital tomorrow morning. I grinned and closed my eyes for a few moments, picturing myself with Bella by the pool relaxing over the loungers, or by the cliffs dozing over the grass, or back at my apartment pumping in and out of her…

Fuck. I shook my head quickly to dispel that last one. I'd never finish up the last couple of hours of this shift if I kept thinking that way. Besides, I'd already promised her _and_ myself that we'd make a weekend out of it. After the way I'd treated Bella when I first met her, after the shit I'd put her through, I needed to show her how much she really meant to me - that she wasn't just an easy and convenient lay; that she was my real girlfriend now, and she deserved all the respect that went with that.

And _then_ I'd screw her brains out.

I chuckled to myself as I finished up my chart work, remembering the night before, in the parking lot. Bella certainly hadn't been opposed to me doing just that and God it had taken all my strength not to pull down my fly and just take her right then and there in that empty lot; her mouth and her eyes had been begging me to do just that. It was amazing to think that I'd actually even considered it because just a few months ago, I would've never…

I shook my head again; I didn't want to think about a few months ago anymore.

No, Bella and I hadn't worked everything out yet. But every day that passed, I needed her more and more, I wanted her in every way imaginable, and I knew I wasn't going to let her go with the last of the summer breeze - because as the weather cooled down, she and I did the total opposite.

And whenever she was ready, we'd tell everyone the truth. I knew she was nervous about everyone's reactions, and I knew that no matter how much she complained about my mother, she was worried about disappointing her too. But she didn't know what I knew. She didn't know that Esme had taken me aside the other night, claiming to need my help with reaching something in the kitchen, and then quietly placed Grandmother Platt's platinum engagement ring in my hand.

I'd looked up at her, speechless.

"What's an engagement party without a ring to show off? Rosalie got Grandmother Cullen's engagement ring because it's flashier and you know Rose likes her flash, and Jasper will get one of the wedding rings, whichever he and Alice prefer."

"Mom, I don't know how to tell you this, but there's something-"

She'd placed her hand on my mouth to silence me. "Whatever it is will have to wait because everyone's in the other room, and they'll start missing us soon. All I'm going to tell you is that I know you've always been the type of person that needs to plan and think and organize and that's just fine son," she smiled warmly and placed her soft hand on my cheek. "It will make you a great man - and a wonderful doctor. But just remember," she went on, her tone holding just the slightest hint of warning, "that sometimes the best decisions are the ones left to fate."

"Yeah, I got screwed over by fate once," I blurted.

"Oh honey," she chuckled, "It wasn't fate that screwed you over. Your fate's just begun."

And then Emmett bounded into the kitchen demanding that unless we were going to help him prepare this new fangled recipe he had for pig's feet, we should get out, so I'd wrapped my hand tightly around the ring and gotten the hell out.

I'd carried around the ring in my pocket for the past few days now.

OOOOOOOOOO

I'd just picked up an apple from the hospital cafeteria and was walking back to the ER, whistling a happy tune to myself and maybe daydreaming just a bit as I readied myself for the last hour or so of my shift and then twenty-four whole hours of sleep and Bella. As I opened the large double doors I bumped into Bree, who'd been walking out while reading the chart in front of her.

"Oh! Edward," she exclaimed.

"Bree," I replied. "I'm sorry; I guess I wasn't paying attention."

She took a step back and straightened out her pencil skirt. "That's fine."

We stood there awkwardly for a few seconds.

"So, how's everything going?" I asked.

"Well, thank you," she answered politely. "And you?"

"Very good, thanks." I ran my hand through my hair, "Well, I guess I'll let you-"

"How are the engagement party preparations?"

I stared at her. "Well, my mother's taking care of most of that."

She nodded slowly. "There was a time when everyone assumed she'd be planning our wedding."

I rubbed my mouth roughly with my hand. What exactly was I supposed to say to that? "It didn't work out that way, did it?"

"Edward…" she hesitated and looked away before bringing her eyes back to me, "Don't you think that perhaps…you're rushing into this whole thing with Isabella? I mean, you've only known her for a few months."

I shook my head. "Bree, you don't know a thing about Bella."

"You don't seem to know much about her either," she said quickly. "She's wild, and she's got ex-boyfriends popping out of the woodwork. This is all just a game to her, Edward, don't you see that? You're a free ride to her and as soon as she gets bored, she'll be gone."

"Because I'm not interesting enough to hold on to her?" I hissed. "Is that what you mean?"

"I didn't say that," she shook her head. "But don't try to turn yourself into someone you're not. I…" she hesitated, "I saw you in the parking lot last night-"

I leaned in close to her quickly, so quickly that she gasped. I hadn't been this close to Bree in a long, long time, and I thought I saw her eyes flash to my mouth before moving back up to my eyes. She licked her bottom lip, and for just a split second I wondered what she thought I'd leaned in for.

"Don't," I said through clenched teeth, holding a finger up in front of her face, "Don't try to tell me who I am because _you_ have no idea." My nostrils flared, and I backed away. "_Bella_ knows me, and I know her in a way you and I never knew each other."

"You never did things like that with me," she whispered, but her tone was reproachful. "Maybe if you had-"

My mouth twisted in disgust and I put a hand up, palm out to her. "Stop. Just…stop." And then I walked away.

OOOOOOOOOO

Nurse Julia approached me when I picked up a chart from the nurse's station. "Edward, you got a call from a Miss Linda Cope? She said it would be great if you could call her back a.s.a.p." She handed me the number.

I drew in a deep breath and walked off to a corner to call back the number. If nothing else, it would hopefully at least provide a distraction to the shit that had just happened. I shook my head while the phone rang a couple of times. She'd seen us. She'd fucking seen us. Bella would have a fit if she ever found out. Then I snorted because knowing Bella, she'd probably planned it and would-

"Linda Cope," said the woman's voice on the other line.

I looked at the paper in front of me. "Miss Cope, this is Doctor Edward Cullen. I've got a message that you called for me?"

"Doctor Cullen!" Miss Cope exclaimed, "Thank you for calling me back. I wanted to speak to you about one of your patients."

"Which patient?" I asked while at the same time scanning the chart in front of me.

"Isabella Swan."

I stopped scanning. "Isabella Swan?"

"Yes," Ms. Cope confirmed. "Do you recall treating her at the…" - she paused and I could hear papers rustling, as if she was looking up the information as we spoke – "the Forks General Emergency Room, a couple of months ago?" she finally said.

"Yes," I said slowly. "Excuse me, to whom exactly am I speaking?"

"I'm Linda Cope," she repeated pleasantly, "I'm a social worker at the Department of Human Services in Phoenix?" Her voice lifted at the end, as if she spoke a question rather than a statement.

"A social worker," I thought aloud, "for Bella?"

"Bella?" Miss Cope said. "Do you know Isabella well, Doctor Cullen?"

"I know her," I stated slowly and vaguely. "Excuse me, Miss Cope, but can you please state exactly what this call refers to?"

"Of course, Doctor Cullen," she agreed easily. "I'm looking for Isabella because she hasn't reported in in a very long time, and I'm afraid she may lose-"

"Reported in?" I interrupted, my heart suddenly racing in my chest. "Is Bella in some sort of trouble?"

"No, no, no," Miss Cope reassured me quickly, and I closed my eyes. "But in order to keep her scholarship, she's required to report in with me twice a year, and she hasn't done so in over a year."

"Miss Cope, forgive me, but I'm trying to understand what's going on here." I ran my hand through my scalp and fisted my hair. "For which branch of the Department of Human Services do you work?"

My question was met by only two seconds of silence, during which a million different thoughts and scenarios raced through my mind. Regardless, I wasn't prepared for her answer.

"Doctor Cullen, I've been Isabella's social worker in one form or another since she first entered the system."

"The system?"

"As a foster child."

"A foster child?" I realized I was simply repeating everything she said, but I had to if any of it was going to eventually make any sense.

"Yes, Isabella was in the State of Arizona's foster care system for over ten years."

I swallowed thickly as dozens of images suddenly bombarded me.

_The look on her face when I'd told her I was adopted._

"_I don't do parents!"_

"_Edward, do you ever miss your birth parents?"_

_Jamie._

My lungs constricted tightly. "Miss Cope, what about her brother, Jamie?"

"Jamie?" Now it was apparently her turn to repeat what I said.

"Yes. Was he in the system too?"

"Jamie?" she repeated once more. "Doctor Cullen, Isabella's brother, James Swan, died along with her parents, sixteen years ago."

OOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Yes, I know I'm a cliffy bitch. I don't do it on purpose though, but we're at almost 7,000 words and this chapter had to end somewhere, so we're going to do things a little different for next chapter. It will start with Edward's PoV, and then go to Bella's. See you then!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' on facebook is on my profile, if you're at all inclined.**


	18. Chapter 18 Sealed & Opened

**A/N: ***IMPORTANT***PLEASE READ*****

**This story WILL have an HEA!**

**Now with that reminder out of the way a few other VERY IMPORTANT points:**

**1. Many of you have questions about Bella's age. It was mentioned at the beginning of chapter 2, but I'll list all the main character's ages again just to make it clear:**

_**Bella – 22, Edward – 27, Jasper – 20, Alice -20, Emmett – 29, Rosalie – 29, Bree – 27, and Jamie at time of death – 14. :(**_

**No, Bella is definitely NOT a minor as some of you feared from the last chapter.**

**2. A few of you were also confused by how Bella had been in the foster care system for ten years if her parents died 16 years ago. Well, although her parents died 16 years ago, Bella hasn't been a foster child since age 17, which is emancipation age in some states. That is almost six years ago. I hope this makes sense. I'll go into it more in this chapter. If it still doesn't make sense after this, PM me and we'll talk. But keep in mind that while I did a teeny tiny bit of research, I am NOT an expert at _any_ of this. I just like writing stories. :)**

**3. Some of you also mentioned that Bella's letters at the beginning of each chapter are getting more and more angsty. I did warn at the beginning that there would be eventual angst. I'll try to keep the tone as light as possible because Quirkella is NOT a brooder at heart, but as most of you seem to have gathered, there will be some heartache. (Please see #4 & #5 below).**

**4. Finally, ANOTHER reminder: HEA, HEA, HEA all the way! I will NEVER write a story where there isn't an HEA. I _can't_ read'em, I won't write'em! **

**5. All that being said…the following chapter WILL be angsty. It will explain a lot about Bella. Unfortunately, much of what I'll describe really does go on every day in this world. Children grow up in overwhelmed and understaffed systems and have very difficult and very different lives from those that most of us experience. This chapter isn't meant to blame or praise the system or anyone involved in it, it's just what the reality is for some children – not just in what we may consider underdeveloped or third world countries, but right here in the U.S. My mom-in-law was once a foster mom, so I know there are good ones out there too.**

**So one more time, it will be HEA all the way because although not everyone gets them in real life, this is fanfiction. They should at least be possible here. **

**And now my A/N has taken up the _whole_ first page so I'd like to thank those that actually read it, and of course, my sweet, sweet Beta Michelle Renker Rhodes for all her work on this, and I need to remind you all that these are S. Meyer's characters.**

**Ch. 18 Sealed & Opened**

**Chapter Song Rec: _Never Say Never_ by The Fray (perfect for this chappy. :) )**

* * *

**EPoV**

_You thought I pitied you? I'll admit that when I found out what you'd gone through, even before you told me all the rest, I wanted nothing more than to wrap you in my arms and keep you safe – but that's far from pity. I wanted you, from the moment you walked into that exam room at the ER, I wanted you. I needed you probably just as long. So I won't deny that you saw those emotions in my eyes too. _

_But you did read me wrong if you ever thought I pitied you, and I suppose that's as much my fault as anything because you weren't an expert at any of this. But guess what? Neither was I. I thought I'd been in love before; I thought I'd recognize it easily, but when I fell for you it went miles beyond anything I'd ever known. It was like looking out for a seed when the entire damn field had blossomed while you'd turned around._

_Still, I blame myself. I should've put a name to it right away because it was always there, always love and admiration and awe and so many other things that to this day I still can't describe. I should've told you I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, but I'd been burned and I was so fucking scared to say the words aloud that I waited and…_

_and…well you know what happened because I waited…_

OOOOOOOOOO

The words hung in the air, echoing in my mind.

'…_Isabella's brother, James Swan, died along with her parents 16 years ago.'_

"Miss Cope, are you sure …" – I paused and cleared my throat – "are you sure that Bella's parents' and brother are dead?"

"Doctor Cullen," she snorted, "of course I'm sure. As I said, I've been her case worker since the very beginning."

"What…" – I drew in a deep breath, fisting the hair on top of my head so hard I saw lights dancing before my eyes – "What happened to them?"

Miss Cope was silent for a few moments. "Excuse me Doctor," she began, her tone much more wary now, "may I ask exactly what type of relationship you have with Isabella?"

Instinctively I knew that Doctor Cullen, Isabella's physician, would gather more information than Edward Cullen, Bella's boyfriend.

But was it ethical?

I couldn't give a damn at that moment.

"Professional, of course," I said quickly, "Isabella is my patient and as such I believe a thorough understanding of her background can only help. Don't you agree?"

"I suppose," she said slowly, a hint of uneasiness still in her voice. "Though since much of a foster child's file is kept sealed, there's not much I'm free to tell."

"I believe any bit of information you can provide may be helpful," I said in my most polished and proficient tone. "I'll add it to her file, and then we can discuss whatever information you need from me."

Ms. Cope seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, while I closed my eyes and held my breath.

"Very well," she finally agreed. I silently exhaled. "Let's see, what _can_ I share?" she mumbled quietly, as if speaking to herself. I could hear the rustling of papers again in the background. "Okay. Isabella Marie Swan, born nine thirteen eighty-nine," she stated in a monotone manner. "Her father, Charles Swan, was a Phoenix policeman, her mother, Renee Swan, was a stay-at-home mom. Her brother, Charles James Swan, was eight years her senior. In March nineteen ninety-six, when Isabella was six years old, a fire burned down her family's home, killing her father, mother and brother. Isabella was with her paternal grandmother, Marie Swan, that night and therefore survived. Her grandmother soon became her foster parent. This was when Social Services got involved.

"Her foster parent?" I interrupted. "Shouldn't her grandmother simply have become her legal guardian?"

"Doctor Cullen, I don't make the laws," Miss Cope sighed. "The laws of most states in this country say that that if a child does not have a guardian legally designated by its parents, then that child becomes a ward of the state upon the parents' death."

I shook my head. "So Isabella grew up with her grandmother as her foster parent?"

"Not exactly," Miss Cope said cryptically. "Unfortunately, the elder Mrs. Swan was quite old and not in the best of health. Still, she filed all the required paperwork to legally adopt Isabella, but passed away from heart complications before they could be reviewed, only a year after the rest of Isabella's family passed."

"Jesus," I muttered, dropping my forehead against the cold tiles on the wall. _Oh Bella, little girl what did you go through?_

"Isabella grew up with a foster family then?" I asked.

"No, again not exactly," Miss Cope breathed. "Isabella had a few foster families before she aged out of the system."

"Aged out?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "Aged out is the term we use when a child reaches age of emancipation without having ever been legally adopted."

"What's the age of emancipation in Arizona?"

"Seventeen, Doctor Cullen."

Seventeen.

Bella had been on her own since the age of seventeen.

"That's not an adult," I hissed, "that's still a kid. And how could no one have ever adopted her?"

"Doctor Cullen, as I said, a foster child's records are confidential, and I'm afraid I can't go into any of that with you. I can tell you though that a child's chances for adoption decrease with the child's age. Most prospective parents are looking to adopt babies. The older the child, the less they are looked at as a prospective adoptee. Isabella was already seven when she came into the system."

"You make it sound like a business dealing," I snarled, unable to disguise my disgust.

"In many ways it is," she admitted blatantly. "It's sad to say, but it's the truth. The younger the child, the greater the likelihood he or she will eventually be adopted."

"Seven is still young," I snapped angrily, even though it was none of Miss Cope's fault.

But she simply sighed. "Yes, it is young. But there _are_ other factors that weigh heavily on a child's adoption prospects."

"Such as?" I questioned carefully.

"Doctor Cullen, there's much I can't share, but…you mentioned Isabella's brother, Jamie, and…as I said, Jamie _did_ die sixteen years ago."

The nausea rolling around in the base of my stomach since this phone call first began increased tenfold because I knew what she was getting at.

"Prospective parents look at a child's age, physical _and_ mental condition..."

"Bella doesn't have mental issues," I said through clenched teeth.

She wasn't crazy. I mean yeah, she'd acted insane in the exam room when I'd met her. She sang to her clothes and jewelry, she broke into opera at the slightest temptation, she was beautifully wild, and she hitchhiked and hooked up with casino security officers…

…and she spoke about a brother that had died sixteen years ago as if he were still around.

But she wasn't crazy.

She was a beautiful, free spirit – fine, perhaps a bit strange and quirky. She drove _me_ nuts, that's for sure, and disconcerted every single one of _my_ senses. But there was no way in hell…no way that she was mentally…not in the clinical sense. No, I-

"Personally, I've always thought her refusal to let go of Jamie was just a coping mechanism of hers," Miss Cope murmured quietly, as if she were sharing something she knew she wasn't supposed to. "But she never gave the therapists what they wanted. She refused to utter the one sentence that would ease their minds and get them off her case."

"She refused to admit he was dead," I said, knowing that's what she was alluding to.

"Doctor Cullen, as I said, I can't go into specific details about Isabella's time in the system."

We were both silent.

"She was always such a beautiful girl," Miss Cope said after a few seconds, with a smile in her voice. "And despite everything she grew up into a beautiful young lady, always so full of life. Doctor Cullen," she said with a deep breath, "I've been a case worker for decades, and I've seen it all, more than I would've liked to in many cases. I would've liked to have seen Isabella settled with a good family, but…well…"

"You can't go into details," I finished for her.

"Exactly. Isabella's always marched - or in her case sang or hummed," she chuckled lowly, "to her own beat. Unfortunately it wasn't the same beat as many of the foster families she was placed with. She had a few rough incidents, but she always managed to keep smiling. It's not in her nature to brood, I suppose. From what I've gathered her mom was the same. She's a fighter, and before I retire in a few months I'd like to see her come out ahead, at least as far as her education is concerned," she finished wistfully.

"Her education?" I questioned once again.

"Yes. That's why I'm calling, doctor," she stated, sounding much more professional again. "Despite all the complications of growing up in the foster system, Isabella was extremely bright. Her grades always remained well above average, which was great because the state pays college tuition costs for foster children as long as they're registered to attend a state university when they age out. In Isabella's case, since her grades were exceptional, she qualified for additional coverage that included dormitory and living expenses for the entire four years of university – just as long as she reported into her case worker twice a year, as well as saw a therapist quarterly."

"Wait a minute. Do you mean Isabella went to college?" I asked.

"Yes. She attended three years at Arizona State University in Phoenix."

My legs weakened and I leaned my back against the wall. All these weeks, I'd apparently known nothing of the real Bella.

"Twelve credits away from graduation," Miss Cope continued, unaware of my inner musings, "Isabella dropped out of the university, stopped reporting in, stopped seeing her therapist and disappeared. Her health insurance is also linked to the state grant, so when she injured herself and filed the necessary paperwork at your hospital, it came back to us. It's the first I've heard from her since she disappeared almost eighteen months ago."

I listened to Miss Cope's newest disclosure, shocked and speechless.

"And so I'm calling to see if you knew how to get in touch with her. The state grant will expire on her birthday in September if she's not enrolled in an accredited program, and what's more she will be liable for the entire cost the state took on for her education."

I raked my hand down my face. "So they'll charge her for the whole thing if she doesn't reregister and finish her degree?"

"Exactly," Miss Cope emphasized. "She's so close Doctor Cullen. I'd hate to see her end up back on square one when this could be her ticket to the future she deserves."

_The future she deserves._

All along, Bella had been on track for a real future, not simply a life filled with aimless wandering. At some point she'd left it all behind to hitchhike her way around the country.

I swallowed thickly. "So what exactly does she have to do, Miss Cope?"

"She just has to get back in touch with me and give me her re-enrollment information, as well as the name and contact information for a therapist."

"Is the therapist really necessary?" I scowled over the phone.

"I'm afraid it is," she sighed, "Again, not my rules. Isabella must be registered for the fall semester, or else the grant will be withdrawn, and I'd really hate for that to happen," she mused solemnly. "Isabella's such a bright kid, and she was so close."

I nodded quietly, my mind racing.

"So do you think you can get in touch with her, Doctor Cullen, and perhaps suggest a therapist for her, since you are in the medical field?"

I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I _will_ try, Miss Cope, I promise you that."

"Thank you," Miss Cope said appreciatively. "We'll be in touch soon."

I hit the end button on my cell phone, and then just stared at it for the next five minutes.

OOOOOOOOOO

**BPoV**

I kept telling Hoverer to chill and let me get my own stuff together, but every morning it would be the same. She'd have the table set up with all these yummy pastries, and eggs and bacon would be warming in the oven, and fresh coffee would be brewing in the pot, and I mean really, who in their right mind could ever say no to bacon?

I wasn't stupid though; I knew the bacon and the coffee and the pastries were just bait; merely her way to hover over me and get all the four one one on me and her precious little boy. Jesus, thank God I'd never had to put up with this kind of crap growing up.

Still, in the interest of fairness and absolutely _nothing_ more, if she went out of her way to prepare all this stuff in the morning, then I suppose the least I could do was spend a few minutes with her, let her indulge in talk of engagement party decorations and the nerve of late r.s.v.p-ers and such. And I suppose I could make the sacrifice and put up with her smiles and her catering to my every whim. It would just be _too_ rude to tell her to stop her hovering and leave me the heck alone, to remind her that _I_ wasn't her family and that _I_ didn't need to be taken care of, that I didn't need her to tuck my hair behind my ear when it came loose from my pony-tail, or to smile at me so tenderly, or to caress my hand when she spoke to me, or to tell me how nice I looked every morning, or to remind me to wear sunscreen by the pool. _I_ didn't need any of it. I never had.

But like I said, it would be rude to say all these things, and though I couldn't remember exactly, I was sure Jamie had once told me something about not being rude to your elders. So I'd let her go on and I'd roll my eyes and continue ignoring the way my heart stung just a teeny tiny bit whenever she spoke to me.

Right now, she was waxing on and on about the dress for the engagement party coming up next week. You know, the one I'd been too chicken shit to put a stop to? Her voice was kind of annoying the heck out of me because I hadn't slept well last night. My mind had kept vacillating between Jasper's revelation and the way Edward's fingers had felt inside me. _So_ not two well-matched thoughts, trust me. Every time my clit would tingle at the memory of Edward's fingers teasing it and promising it so much more, an image of Bree and Mike coming out of his house and going at it hot and heavy in the car and behind Edward's back would invade my brain.

So instead of sleeping like a baby, with visions of Edward inside me dancing in my head, I'd spent most of the night seething and wondering if it was my place or my obligation to tell him what I'd learned. Jasper had given me the go ahead to share, which I kinda wished he hadn't, because now the decision was up to me.

And I had no fucking idea what to do.

"Wait until you see what Tanya's grandmother has created," Esme trilled excitedly, keeping her eyes on me while sipping her tea. "It's just perfect for you, Bella."

I blinked and gave her a weak smile, and she grinned back indulgently. Abruptly, the grin faded and she reached out and traced under my eyes with one finger. I stiffened momentarily, the way I always did at her touch, but if she caught it she never let on.

"Are you okay, hon? You've dark rings under your eyes. Did you sleep well last night?"

"I slept just fine, Esme," I lied dryly.

I could tell by her expression that she wasn't buying it, but she let it go with a slight nod.

"You know, Bella," she said softly, "if there's ever anything you want to talk about, I'm here. I hope you know that." And there she went with the reaching out and putting her hand over mine.

I sighed and then grinned coyly. "You mean besides the engagement party?"

"Yes," she agreed, ignoring the sarcasm. "We can talk about whatever you want, Bella." She squeezed my hand. "You're very special to me. I hope you know that too."

Now why in the world did she have to go and say that? Was she trying to get more intel or was she just purposely trying to squeeze my heart so tightly it physically ached? Why the hell did she have to be such a hoverer? Why couldn't she just leave me alone already?

I blinked rapidly and removed my hand from under Esme's, damn her. "I'm going to put these in the dishwasher and then go chill by the pool 'til Edward gets here."

It was stupid of me to be angry, 'course I knew it, I wasn't a total idiot. But it didn't stop me from furiously scraping the breakfast scraps into the garbage disposal, or shoving the dishes a little too forcefully into the dishwasher, and when I felt more than heard someone approaching behind me I dropped the dish in my hand and whirled around.

"What are you trying to- Edward!" My heart jumped and before I knew it I was jumping into his arms the way I always did and he held me up and against him while I kissed him-

But it didn't take me long to feel how stiff he felt under me, even stiffer than he'd felt during those first few weeks of our arrangement. His lips barely moved with mine. I pulled away still smiling because I couldn't help smiling when I was in Edward's arms.

The look on his face wiped my smile away quick-fast though.

"What's wrong?" The flutters the sight of him had caused were quickly replaced by a nervous hammering in my chest.

"Can we talk?" His voice was stoic, his features hard and unreadable.

"Sure," I shrugged, sliding off of him a lot more easily than I actually felt. He held me carefully until my feet reached the floor again. "What's up?"

His tired eyes bore into mine, searching…

"Let's go for a ride." He grabbed my hand without waiting for an answer and led me out to the truck, pulling out his set of keys and getting into the driver's seat. Normally I would've complained, but I got the feeling now would be a good time to keep it shut.

We drove in silence, winding through the dark roads of Forks and into the canopied roads of La Push. My heart pounded erratically as I glared out the passenger window, watching the sun's rays fight their way through the thick branches and leaves above, leaving golden shadows all around us, and trying to figure out what Edward could be upset at me about. Two possibilities came to mind:

The first: that Jasper had called him either late last night or early this morning and told him everything, including the fact that I knew, and Edward was pissed off not only at the fact that Bree had been unfaithful, but also because no one had told him right away.

The second and infinitely worse in my book: that sometime during the long night at the hospital, Edward and Bree had made up, and he was now going to hand me over a check and a pat on the back for a job well done before giving me the boot.

By the time we reached the cliffs and Edward let go of my hand, I could barely hear the birds or the crickets over the sound of my breathing.

He walked quietly to the edge of the cliffs, staring down. "I received a phone call this morning," he began coolly, "from a Miss Linda Cope."

I closed my eyes and snorted. Funny, that possibility hadn't even crossed my mind.

He went on with his back to me. "She told me she was looking for an Isabella Marie Swan, because she hasn't reported in in almost eighteen months and she's afraid the state will have to withdraw its grant if Isabella doesn't re-enroll by September. She told me…" – he drew in a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling heavily – "she told me a few other things about Isabella too."

"Miss Cope always did have a rather large mouth," I stated dryly.

Edward didn't speak right away. "Weren't you ever going to tell me?"

I cringed, because he suddenly sounded more…hurt than anything. "I was, Edward."

"When?"

I shrugged. "Eventually. Soon, I'd like to think."

"You'd like to think," he snorted, bending down to pick up some bracken from the ground and flinging it far into the river. "But you're not sure."

"It's not exactly an easy subject to throw into conversation, you know."

He whirled around and leveled me with an even glare, and now I could clearly see the whirlwind of emotions in his eyes; confusion, anger, disappointment.

"_I_ managed it, Bella. I told you the day after we met that I was adopted. That my parents had died in a plane crash and-"

I put a hand out and cut him off. "It's different, Edward."

"How is it different?" he asked, nostrils flaring. "How is it so different?"

I snorted and looked up into the lush green branches above me. "Exactly how much did Miss Cope tell you?" I hedged.

"She told me that your parents and your brother Jamie died in a house fire when you were six," he blurted. I flinched. My reaction must've done something because he spoke the next few words more carefully. "She told me you went to live with your grandmother and that she passed away a year later. That afterwards you…went into the foster system. She said you aged out at seventeen, that you'd been accepted at Arizona State so the state paid for tuition and housing, but you dropped out twelve credits away from graduating."

"Wow," I breathed after a long silence, "I can see she's still as thorough as ever. Go Miss Cope," I quipped.

"Bella, this isn't a joke," he smirked.

I met his gaze squarely this time. "Do you really think I don't know that?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Bella, why didn't you say anything? Why did you make it seem as if…" he trailed off.

I bit my lip, unable to answer. How could I explain it to him? Either way, he'd believe me either crazy or pitiful. I wasn't sure which was worse.

He took a few steps forward, and suddenly Edward was right before me, his emerald eyes dark and confused, and when he reached out and cupped the side of my face I shuddered.

"Damn it, Bella. Why?" he asked again, his forehead wrinkling in bewilderment.

Locked in his eyes, I could do nothing but shrug.

"Why?" he asked again, his voice rising with agitation and impatience.

"What was I supposed to say" – my chest heaved and my own voice rose a few octaves as I felt my defenses rise - "and when exactly was I supposed to have said it? In between your pining over Bree, or in between your plans and schemes on how to get her back? Time out, Edward," I scoffed tauntingly, bouncing the tips of my fingers off my right palm and all the while _knowing_ I was being a vicious bitch, but unable to stop myself, "just so you'll know, I grew up in several foster homes and in a group home for a few years. Alright, time in. Now we can go back to OGBB," I sneered pettily.

"That's not fair," he said, shaking his head through a tight jaw. "Don't mock me, Bella."

Shame colored my face, but my defenses had gone up and I knew they wouldn't go back down easily. "This was only supposed to be a summer agreement," I tried again. "There was no reason for me to tell you _any_ of it."

"But it's been more than that for a while now, Bella, hasn't it?" His brows suddenly furrowed and abruptly he seemed unsure. "At least _I_ thought it'd become more than that."

He searched my eyes again, but I looked down, unable to meet his gaze any longer.

"Bella, when I told you I needed you, I meant that," he whispered, still holding my face while his thumb drew circles around my jaw line. "I want to share things with you, Bella, but you have to be willing to share with me, or else this isn't going to work."

I tried to swallow, but my throat felt closed off because truth time had arrived and I wasn't ready for it. Edward wanted a fairy tale. Whether with me or Bree, what he wanted to share was a happy marriage and beautiful kids and a perfect life and I could _never_ give him that. It was time with _both_ knew it.

"You want to share?" I snorted flippantly, pushing his hand off my face and _knowing_ I was sabotaging _everything. _ "How much do you want to share?"

"Everything, Bella," he hissed, and I knew he saw what I was doing, that I was challenging him. But if this is what it took to show him how fucked up his chances for a happily ever after were with me, then this was what I'd do.

"Everything?" I repeated, grinning up at him. "You sure you want everything?"

"Yes," he snapped without hesitation.

"Alright," I said, holding his gaze. "Miss Cope was apparently very forthcoming with you, but you still want more so here we go." He watched me silently.

"One night when I was six my parents made me stay with my Gran because they were taking Jamie camping the next morning and they thought I was too young. I missed Jamie because like most little sisters I worshipped the fucking ground he walked on, and I was angry at my goddamned parents for making me stay behind. The next morning the cops came to my Gran's door…" I stopped and snorted to myself, because even now I still couldn't finish that sentence. Edward drew in a deep breath, but kept his eyes on me.

"Anyway, a year later I came home from school and found my grandmother dead on the floor from a massive heart attack."

I could see Edward's handsome face pale, and the way his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, but he asked for this, so I kept going.

"After that I was shuffled around for a while, from one home to the next until the novelty of a foster child would wear off, or I'd do something 'wrong,'" - I emphasized with air quotes – "then I'd be sent to the next home. Actually, the seventh family I was placed with kept me for a whole ten months, and then when I accidentally spilled orange juice over the already-stained rug my foster mom slapped the ever living shit out of me."

He exhaled heavily at this, but I was on a roll now. "Do you want to hear about the foster parents that crammed handfuls of us into their shitty apartments just so they could get their hands on our government stipends? Or how about the ones that were genuinely perfect? There were a couple of those, but unfortunately I just couldn't be perfect enough for them."

Edward closed his eyes and swallowed thickly. "Jesus, Bella." His voice was rough and strangled, but when he reached out for me, I pushed his hand away.

"Or how about the foster dad that tried to cop a feel when I was thirteen? Or the one that just used to grin at me with so much fucking open lust on his face that his wife returned me quick-fast despite the government's paycheck."

Edward fisted his hair. "Oh fuck, Bella." He tried to reach out for me again but I took two steps back.

"Do you want to know about Ty now? Remember Ty, Edward? I mentioned him to you."

He nodded once, his expression tight and wary.

"I already told you that Ty was my first, but here's the more detailed story. I met him at the group home where I used to spend my time in between families, and ran away with him when he aged out. I was fifteen and had to hide from the cops so I'd just hang around the crappy motel room while he went out every day and came back late at night. Then in the mornings I'd stay real quiet when the hotel manager would come bang on the door, demanding the rent and threatening to call the cops on us. One night Ty came back with another guy, some drunk and dirty asshole he'd found god knows where and Ty announces all proudly that the guy'll pay us a whole C note if I fuck him."

Edward closed his eyes, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might break. His entire frame vibrated when he brought his fisted hands up to his head and pressed down tightly. "Jesus," he muttered. "Goddamnit," he cursed. "Oh Jesus, Bella."

But I continued. "I told Ty he could go ahead and bend over for him if he'd like. I even offered to lock myself in the bathroom to give them their privacy, but…apparently that idea didn't appeal much to either guy," I grinned wryly, while Edward's chest heaved. "So when Ty came for me I kicked him in the balls and hightailed it back to the home, but after that I refused to go to any more foster families so they just kept me at the group home until I aged out. And then I went to college, and yeah, they paid for it, but then I decided I'd like to see the world instead," I grinned, closing my eyes and breathing in deeply, "or the country at least," I added with a shrug. "And the rest I think you can figure out on your own."

For a long time, we simply stood there, watching each other. Edward's face had gone from pale white, to red with fury. His already strong jaw was a perfect square, and while his quickly heaving chest eventually slowed, the breaths he took were long and heavy. Still, I preferred this reaction to the pity party I refused to stick around for.

"So that's about everything," I finally said, smacking my hands together, "and now you know why I can't ever be part of any fairy-tale. So if you don't mind, I'd like to at least pick up my backpack and the eighty or so bucks I had when I got here."

He glared at me, fury mixed with confusion again. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I can't leave my back pack, or my sleep shirt. They were Jamie's. He gave them to me."

He glowered at me, the way he used to when we first met - like I was insane. But this was better. I loved him too much to accept his pity, and knowing it was there would kill me even more than this already was.

"Edward, I need to get my stuff," I repeated, fighting to keep my voice even.

He jerked his head to the side, studying me, like he couldn't figure out what I was.

And then he rushed forward and grabbed my face between his hands, and I gasped.

"I can understand why you wouldn't have wanted to tell me all that at first, Bella. Fine, I can understand that," - he spoke quickly - "but why are you acting like this now? Why are you purposely pushing me away?" His eyes filled with an aching urgency that I closed my eyes against. "Why?" he repeated, holding my face tighter.

"Because all of this can only be temporary, Edward," I choked out, opening my eyes again and forcing myself to meet his gaze. "And we both have to admit that. I'm going to leave eventually, so I might as well leave now."

"No," he shook his head defiantly, his jaw clenching, "It doesn't have to be temporary."

I wrapped my hands around his. "Yes, it does," I said gently. "Edward, I don't stay anywhere, not permanently. I never have and I never will. And you…you're on the rebound now, Edward. Maybe…just maybe you _are_ realizing that Bree may not be what you thought she was. Either way, this thing between you and I, it's just a temporary infatuation on both ends, and that's fine. But let's be up front about it."

He pierced me with his gaze, jerking his head to the side again to scrutinize me carefully. "No," he snarled, shaking his head again vehemently. "No, Bella. I won't buy that. _You_ don't believe it, and neither do _I_."

I held in a whimper, ignoring the part of my heart that told me that Edward was right, because I had to be fair to him. "Edward, I'm _never_ getting married. I'm _never_ having kids."

He was silent for a long time. "You don't _know_ that. You don't know the future."

"Yes," I smiled against the tightness in my lungs. "I do. Edward, I will never magically transform into this…this perfect maiden capable of fulfilling those types of dreams. I _can't_ accept that kind of responsibility – knowing that another's happiness hinges on _me, _knowing that a small child is _depending_ _on me_ to keep it safe," I closed my eyes tight and shuddered. "I can't. I just can't. And that will never change. This is who I am, just like you are who you are and that's just fine. So this" – I waved a finger between us while his eyes held me painfully – "can obviously only ever be temporary, because I know that what you want, what you _deserve_ is that beautiful future with the perfect wife and the perfect kids. So if you want me to stay," – I knitted my fingers through his – "I'll stay, but we both have to know that it's not forever. I'll hold you and kiss you and I'll give you whatever you need, Edward. But as far as the fairy-tale, we both know that's not me. One day you'd wake up and I wouldn't be there, and I don't want to do that to you."

I grinned through my pain and then slowly unraveled my fingers from his. When I dropped my hands away, his fell back with me, and then I let go of one and took a step back before slowly releasing the other-

"No, Bella!" he growled suddenly, pulling me back against him so abruptly that it knocked the air out of my lungs. "You _don't_ know the future!" he hissed wildly. "If I've learned anything in the past couple of months, it's that. You want to call it temporary," he breathed heavily, "that's fine, I won't argue that with you right now because I'm beginning to see why you can't see beyond the temporary."

"Edward," I sighed, shaking my head, "don't try to analyze me-"

"But don't stand here and tell me it's an infatuation," he commanded, "because this…burn between us _can't_ be temporary, or caused by a mere infatuation and you _know_ that. You _know_ that," he insisted, his eyes moving between my mouth and my own eyes.

All of a sudden I could feel every plane and ridge on his body, and the way every muscle between us sang at the contact. My chest heaved against his, and when he grabbed the nape of my neck and pulled my mouth up to meet his I offered no resistance. I'd tried. God knows I'd tried to give him a way out; to let him know that it was okay to let me go. But he refused it and Jesus, I didn't want to let go. Not now. Not ever.

"You're mine now, Bella," he breathed against my lips. "You're mine and I'll take care of you and I _won't_ let you go," he promised defiantly. "I _won't_ let you go."

I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly against me, deepening our kiss and giving him my entire heart. "Then don't let me go," I murmured, coming up for air. "Don't let me go, Edward."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**The next chappy won't be quite as angsty, I promise you that, to make up for this one. In fact, I think you'll enjoy it very much. But we're getting close to the end and to where Bella's italicized words come from…**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by Patty Rose' facebook page is on my profile. **


	19. Chapter 19 Different & Better

**A/N: I know. This is VERY late. I've been unwell, and busy at home and well…there you go. The good news is that barring any more unforeseen circumstances, there will be another update _this_ week. The bad news is that I will be away _next_ week, so there will be no update then. But I'll be back the week after and the kids will be back in school so I'm hoping to get back to regular postings twice weekly. We only have a handful of chapters left, which I'd like to square away by end of September at the latest.**

**And thanks so so much to all of you who sent me b'day wishes. Not my favorite day on the calendar, but I was really touched by all of you who pm'd, tweeted and facebooked me with well-wishes.**

**Just as a quick clarification, the italicized portion last chapter WAS indeed from EPoV, as is this one. We are once again starting with E's PoV, and I believe we will do so next chappy too. Then we should go back to B's PoV first.**

**Michelle Renker Rhodes is the best and quickest beta ever. Just had to add that.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

* * *

**Ch. 19 Different & Better**

**EPoV**

_The Olympic region's days grew shorter and those fateful summer nights began showing signs of waning. Evening breezes blew more insistently and with increasingly grey skies came something familiar but long-forgotten in our corner of the Earth; silver clouds…and the promise of darker days to come._

_But you and I, we remained in the bubble we'd created for ourselves over those last few sultry weeks. Completely wrapped up in each other, we failed to see the grey skies, or feel the cold breezes, or even the drops from up above that signaled what was approaching. The fiery passion that burned between us consumed our every sense. Like children completely unaware of the whirlwind ahead, we stumbled into it headfirst, clueless of how that fervor, that commitment would be tested by the advancing storm…_

OOOOOOOOOO

In the middle of the week Bella and I met up with Jake at the Grille for drinks and dinner, and after about an hour I began disguising yawns with chuckles. It wasn't that I was bored; just friggin' exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Miss Cope's phone call a couple of days ago had shed a whole lot of light on the beautiful wanderer that had turned my life upside down this summer. For all her playfulness and laidback attitude, a lot about Bella made more sense now; like why she drifted from town to town, as well as her discomfort with my mother. I could see the fragileness in her. I mean yes, she was strong, but she was like one of those forest creatures you only glimpsed rarely because they spooked at too much attention. That morning by the cliffs had been mentally draining for us both, and after her long confession I could tell that Bella wasn't ready to get into it any further - not just yet.

So a few questions remained unanswered. Like what she was planning to do about school. The right thing would've been for her to go back and finish up those twelve credits she needed to earn her degree, and while the old me would've pointed her in that direction in an instant, the new selfish me couldn't imagine a life without her and couldn't help wondering what that would mean for _us_?

And Jesus, why did she speak about her dead brother as if he were still around?

We'd address it all carefully because now that I understood her better I couldn't afford to spook her. I had the ring in my pocket and I wanted to put it on her finger, but first I needed to find a way to show her how hopeful and promising our future together _could_ be.

Anyway, these were the thoughts that had filled my head for the past couple of days. Mentally and physically drained I would've been fine heading back to my place and laying across the sofa with Bella while she ran her warm fingers through my hair – it was how we'd spent the past couple of nights anyhow, but…I was pretty sure those plans didn't exactly make for the most exciting of evenings for her. Not that Bella ever complained, but she shouldn't have had to be a slave to my shitty schedule.

"Jake, you liar! She did not throw the carburetor at you!"

"I swear to God, Bella, she did! Barely missed my left temple too!"

Bella wrapped her arms around her stomach and man how I loved watching her laugh like that: head thrown back, eyes sparkling, body vibrating with amusement – as if the world was just perfect.

"Oh my God what a crazy beeyotch! I hope you charged her double!"

Honestly, I'd lost track of what the hell Jake was going on about, but Bella deserved all the laughter in the world. I'd hold my eyes open with toothpicks to keep her laughing like that.

Unfortunately, the next yawn came totally out of left field.

Bella grinned knowingly my way. "Gotta go, Jake. Some of us can't sleep 'til noon, you know."

"That's right, Jake," I joked, pulling Bella onto my lap. She fell against me easily, resting her head on my shoulder.

Jake looked between the both of us before settling his gaze on me. "What are you talking about? I seem to recall having to wake your lazy ass up" – he waved my way with the exaggeration of someone who'd had one too many – "every morning in the summers when we were growing up."

I smirked and Bella chuckled.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were _you,"_ Jake snickered her way. "What was that colorful term you greeted me with this morning? Something about an early-rising-rooster-peckered-sleep-depriving-ass?"

Something knotted in my stomach. I wasn't sure I liked Bella addressing Jake's pecker in any way, shape or form.

Bella sat straight up, twisting her face in mock indignation. "It was actually a _good-for-nothing_-early-rising-rooster-peckered-sleep-depriving-ass-_face_. Get it right," she grinned. "Jamie taught me that, and I mean really, why would you wake someone up before nine a.m. anyway unless it's an emergency?"

My arms tightened around Bella's waist, and the knot in my stomach twisted. Never mind the pecker comment, it was the first time she'd mentioned Jamie since Miss Cope's phone call a few days ago.

"Oh, I apologize. Totally my bad," Jake sneered, rolling his eyes. Like everyone else in town, he had no idea that Jamie was about as dead and gone as you could get.

"Anyway, I have to go pee before we leave," Bella announced, planting a quick kiss on my mouth. "Be right back."

I stared at Jake, and for one quick moment considered telling him everything, from my fucked up initial proposal to the fact that Bella's hero brother had been dead for sixteen years and therefore how could he _possibly_ have taught her all those phrases as well as half of the other life lessons she claimed he'd taught her? Why did she still cling to Jamie after so long? What would be Jake's opinions on the subject?

But then Jake started humming and spinning an empty bottle around and around over the bar, and I got the feeling Jake wasn't thinking very clearly about much at the moment. I snorted to myself.

"Hey, Jake, you need a ride home, man?"

"Nah." He waved me off with a lazy grin. "Ness is picking me up once her shift ends speaking of which," he continued without pause, "what're you guys doing next weekend? Ness wants to go to the movies."

"Bella and I've got plans. I'm taking her up to Port Angeles for dinner and then we're spending the night up there." I didn't even try to hold back the grin that slowly spread from corner to corner.

Jake nodded deliberately, keeping his eyes on me while washing down the last wing with what was left of his beer. "You know bro, I'm really glad to see you've finally gotten your head out of your ass."

His tone was light and he casually licked the tips of his fingers when was done, but my entire frame tensed, and the easy grin I'd been sporting tightened.

"What exactly does that mean?"

He scrutinized me carefully, chuckling. "You're getting' defensive, man," he joked, pointing at me with his forefinger, "and I'm just sayin'."

The forced grin on my face hardened. "Saying _what_?" I questioned tightly.

Jake's chest heaved. He sat back against his high stool. "You gotta admit, Ed, you were pretty friggin' weird with Bella for a while there. I mean, what was the point of bringing her back with you if she was gonna stay at your parent's? It was like you wanted her but didn't _want_ to want her, know what I mean? I kinda thought you might've still been hung up on Bree which I gotta be honest, would've made you a real prick." He chuckled after his speech and brought the almost empty bottle up to his mouth again.

Yeah, the beer had definitely gotten the best of Jake tonight.

He leaned forward against the bar, staring at his bottle and turning it around and around in his hands. "Like I said, I'm just being honest man 'cause you know, I care about you guys."

"Is that what you're being?" I hissed, leaning in closer and barely resisting the urge to lunge. "Well since we're being honest here, Jake, why don't you tell me exactly how much you care about _her_?"

His ensuing silence was all the answer I needed. I glared at him long and hard while he glared at the bottle in his hand, peeling off the label with his thumbnail.

He finally looked up and met my eyes. "What do you want me to do? Sit here and pretend I don't think you're one lucky bastard? We'd both know I'd be lying if I did that. But I respect her, and I respect you _and_ our friendship, so do me a favor and stop glaring hard like I'm fucking Mike."

What the hell was I supposed to do? Tell him to stay away from Bella? Tell Bella to stay away from him? If a list existed of the things that would spook Bella away I was pretty sure 'crazy possessive jealous asshole' would be at the top of it. But damn it I couldn't go down this road again – not with _her_.

I leaned back and tried to relax my shoulders. Jake was drunk and yes, he was simply being honest with me and as much as I wanted to shove my fist down his throat, I had to appreciate that much. It was more than what I could've said about Mike.

Besides, Bella was _not_ Bree.

"Jake, you spend a lot of time with Bella and I need to know that regardless of what you may feel, you know where the line is. Otherwise…" I shook my head.

"I _know_ where the line is, Edward, believe me, and I'd never cross it. You were lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time and like I said, I respect that." We were both silent for a while, and then he bumped my shoulder with his. "Now maybe if I would've taken you up on that offer and tagged along with you to Italy things would'a been different…" With a final chuckle he picked up his bottle and let the last few drops rain down on his tongue.

I exhaled loudly. "No man, they wouldn't have. I wouldn't have let _Bella_ get away from me."

We locked gazes, and then we both sort of snorted and looked away when Bella reappeared.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Now why didn't we just get straight to this in the first place?" I murmured.

"'Cuz _you_ insisted on going out for drinks with Jake even though you looked about ready to pass out."

I snorted and closed my eyes. Yeah, that had turned out to be a great idea. But I put Jake and his mixed up feelings out of mind and reveled in the pleasure of having Bella all to myself while fighting the drowsiness brought on by the way she kept running the tips of her fingers against my scalp - back and forth, back and forth, from the nape of my neck to the top of my head, over and over. I sighed.

"Just go to sleep, Edward," she whispered gently in my ear. "You're exhausted."

"Not yet," I muttered.

We were lying in my bed. Kissing and touching on the sofa had progressed to kissing and touching in my bedroom. The talk with Jake had left me feeling anxious and possessive, and so we'd taken things further than usual; various pieces of clothing had been lost along the way, and now Bella was in her tank top and black thong while I was in my boxer briefs – as close to naked as I could take without screwing up my plans for this weekend. As it was, every night it got harder and harder for Bella and I to draw the line; to wait for our slowly approaching night out- actually it got harder for _me_ to draw the line; Bella didn't even want to hear about the line anymore. Still, I remained adamant. I wanted the first time I made love to Bella to be perfect for _her_ as well as for me, and every goddamned night I was just so tired. She deserved more than just a quick fuck and then me passing out on top of her – no matter how much I wanted to prove to myself and the world that she was mine.

With all our tossing and turning I'd somehow ended up spooned into Bella which was pretty fucking great. Having always been the spoon before, I'd never realized how good it felt the other way around. Bella's soft breasts cushioned my spine and the heat between her legs warmed my lower back. I had just to turn around and we'd be lined up perfectly, and suddenly a shot of adrenaline hit me and I did just that. I turned abruptly and pinned her against the mattress, trapping her arms over her head.

Bella squealed and started laughing, her beautiful face flushed and her hair splayed out in that wonderful disarray of hers over the white pillow. "I thought you were oh so friggin' tired, and I thought we were waiting for our big date, anyway?" she teased.

"I was, and we are" I smirked, biting the lip she had pursed in mock reproach and making her squeal again, "but then you pressed yourself up against my ass," I blurted.

She chuckled impishly, squirming against me while fully aware of how she was torturing my cock. But I was pretty sure that I could play her game a bit longer without exploding, so I placed my mouth on hers, trailing to the edges of her lips and then down her jaw line, working my way down to her collarbone.

She sighed unevenly. "Well now you're pressing _yourself_ up against my eager crotch and Jesus you're hard as a rock, Edward, so unless you're planning on moving that date up by about seventy-two hours and getting inside me now…" she trailed off hopefully.

I'd never been a part of this kind of bedroom talk, or even the way we fooled around so carelessly, without it necessarily having to lead to sex right away. It was the most tantalizing foreplay I'd ever experienced, and she was right, it had me hard as a rock and so damned anxious for more.

"Stop trying to undo me with your dirty talk," I chuckled. She laughed at me, so I nipped the top of her beautiful breasts to teach her a lesson. Her chest heaved right against my jaw and I decided I was going to suck on them tonight, I couldn't hold off anymore. Like when I'd slid my fingers inside her a few nights ago, this would just be a taste, to keep us from exploding.

"Ow!" she half-cried, her eyes meeting mine in anticipation, as if she could read my mind. Her back arched forward and her fingers knit through mine tightly as we both waited to see where my mouth headed. "Dirty talk? This is hardly dirty talk, Edward," she breathed unevenly.

I licked my way lower and lower, feeling her chest rise and fall under me. I was so close to the erect nipples that had been tempting me for months. "It's dirtier than anything Bree and I ever-"

Even as I spoke the words I realized what I was saying, what I was fucking _doing,_ so I cut myself off but I couldn't take back what was already out there.

Bella stiffened and the tip of my tongue froze an inch away from the nipple I'd already been savoring. I closed my eyes tightly while shame washed over me in buckets. I let go of her hands and drew in a deep breath before sitting up, too ashamed to face her.

"Jesus, Bella, I'm so sorry." I swallowed thickly and raked an angry hand through my hair. "I didn't mean to…compare…_fuck_!" I growled, banging a furious fist against the mattress.

The mattress shifted and I expected to see Bella getting off the bed, but instead I felt her warm breath close to my neck, and then I felt her arms wrap around my bare back, circling to my stomach where she splayed her hands and caressed me. Her lips gently grazed my earlobe.

"Hey, it's okay," she murmured. "You were with her for a long time." I still couldn't look at her, so she rested her head on my shoulder. For a while, we just sat there.

"It was…different," I eventually stated.

I felt her nod against my shoulder, her hands moved more tentatively over my stomach and chest. "Did you…did you like it better that way?"

I turned around quickly and flipped her over me, wrapping my hands around her face and holding her gaze. "No, Bella. Please, _please_ don't ever think that. I _love_ how free and open you are. I _love_ that you can talk about these things with me without playing shy or embarrassed; I _love_ that you can say anything to me, I _love_ that you never hold back in any way, shape or form. I…" I searched her eyes, so open and honest and the words were there, they were right friggin' there but if she ever left it would kill me, I knew that now, and saying the words would seal my fate. "I'm afraid I'll do or say something wrong and one day I'll look for you…and you won't be there."

Her dark eyes bore into mine, full of so much emotion, giving me a glimpse into her soul. She smiled softly. "I'm not going anywhere, Edward, as long as you're sure that I'm what you want. But if you change your mind, please let me know. You can say anything to me too, Edward. I hope you know that, and if you need to tell me your feelings have changed and that you want her back-"

"No, Bella." I shook my head vehemently. "No."

Her soft smile morphed into a huge grin, and her entire face beamed with so much happiness it made my heart swell.

"Okay, then," she chuckled lightly, "Now since we've established we can say anything to each other, how about we keep talking dirty? Your turn." She lifted her head up and pressed her mouth to mine quickly yet firmly.

Another thing I loved about Bella: the way she was always so willing and able to get us both out of any funky moods. Yeah, she was definitely what I'd needed all along because I could've dwelt and brooded over that for days.

I chuckled and then flipped her again so that she was spooned into me now, a position she quickly put to the best advantage when she arched her back and stuck her ass right into my groin. I groaned.

"Can we talk about something else before we continue this?" I hedged quietly, pulling her hair back so that I could kiss the soft downy skin at the nape of her neck. It prickled with goose bumps right away.

She sighed. "Very well, but you're going to have to whisper some serious filth in my ear to make up for all this heavy convo you seem to be craving tonight." And then she ground her ass into me again.

I chuckled and then paused to measure my words. "Why do you talk about Jamie as if he were still…around?"

Once again I felt her stiffen, but I kept my arms wrapped around her, skimming the nape of her neck with my jaw. No matter how stiff she felt she couldn't control the continuing goose bumps.

"Bella, I just want to understand why Jamie's still such a-"

"I'm not crazy, Edward," she snorted, "if that's what you're thinking."

And once again I flipped her over, to face me now while I held her hands in mine over her head. "Listen to me," I said intently, holding her gaze, "I would _never_ think that, no matter what."

"No matter what?" she grinned wryly. "As in, even if it _might_ be true, you care about me too much to-"

"Bella, stop being a smart ass. I know that's your go-to attitude when you get uncomfortable, but that's not what I meant and you know it. I'm just trying to understand."

She looked momentarily abashed, and then lifted her head up to capture my mouth, taking my lips between hers softly. "I know I said we can talk about anything, Edward, and we can, but don't ask me that right now. Please," she pleaded, sounding so vulnerable all of a sudden. "I promise I'll tell you someday, but…not right now."

I searched her dark eyes, trying anxiously to see what was going on behind them, but though she held my gaze she looked so frightened suddenly. Spooked.

So I nodded and she instantly relaxed against the mattress, her body visibly loosening. My heart clenched in my chest so I lowered my mouth to hers and parted her lips with my tongue, tasting the sweetness of her mouth.

She sighed against my lips and I could feel her smiling again. My easy-going Bella. "Now, where were we with our attempts to talk dirty?" Her voice dropped low and seductive, and as solemn as our conversations had gotten a current of electricity flashed through me and I was once again aware of how little clothing she had on, and how close those sweet breasts were to my eager mouth.

"I told you I don't have much experience with this," I said honestly, sucking on her lips alternatively and suddenly so eager to do this with her, to hear all those words pop out of her pretty mouth. "You're going to have to help me out."

She grinned widely. "Fine, I'll go first." And then she moved her mouth to my ear and whispered the most erotic words I'd ever had spoken to me in my life, in a voice that would seduce a saint.

My cock bulged even more and I groaned, dropping my head into her plump breasts. "Bella, I swear, you'll be the death of me."

She giggled and playfully tried to get loose of the hold I had on her. That was Bella. Impetuous. Impatient. Impulsive. Unpredictable. Resilient. The opposite of everything I'd ever known.

"I'll be the death of you?" she moaned. "Who the heck has his face pressed up against my pretty tatas right now? A woman can only take so much teasing before she takes matters into her own hands, Edward."

I chuckled weakly and lifted my head up just enough to look at her. Her eyes sparkled wickedly. "First of all, your tatas are way beyond pretty, love. And second…" I grinned crookedly at her and suddenly her eyes widened and there was that eagerness again, "Before you take matters into your own hands, _I'm_ going to take care of those beautiful breasts of yours right now, if that's okay."

She whimpered, nodding solemnly, and I lowered my mouth and tongue to the mounds I'd been dreaming about for months while the beautiful sounds coming from her mouth, and the way her body writhed and rocked with mine took us both somewhere close to heaven.

OOOOOOOOOO

**BPoV**

Forty-nine and a half hours and counting.

Yes, I was counting.

I had it all more or less calculated. We'd arrive at Port Angeles at about six on Saturday afternoon. If we ordered quickly and ate just as quickly and skipped dessert we could be back at the hotel in about ninety-minutes and Edward could be inside me five minutes or so after that. So basically, Edward and I could be 'making love' by seven thirty-five on Saturday evening.

I could barely contain my anxious bouncing as I sat at the restaurant with Edward Thursday evening and Rosalie took our orders.

"What're you so excited about?" Rose asked, apparently noticing my eagerness.

I grinned widely and bounced all the more in my seat. Rose grinned curiously.

"Just ignore her," Edward instructed, handing her back his menu. "She's being silly."

"Oh, I know," Rose said with a big nod, "You're finally getting excited about the engagement party, since it's just a little over a week away."

"Oh yeah. _That's_ what I'm excited about." I snorted and rolled my eyes.

I still thought it was ridiculous to have a party for an 'engagement' that would last only as long as Edward decided to keep me for. It could be years, or it could be only months. But I'd accepted that fact already. I'd let him in and now I was totally at his mercy.

Edward smirked and Rosalie walked away laughing.

"Forty-nine hours and twenty-five minutes," I sang across the table.

Edward shook his head wryly. "What if I want chocolate cake after dinner?"

"You don't eat chocolate cake," I answered. I'd already filled Edward in on my calculations and I knew he was teasing me.

"What if I want to try it for the first time?" he questioned with an impish grin.

"I'll bake you one afterwards, I promise," I winked.

"What if the waiter trips while bringing out our main course and they have to prepare everything again from scratch?"

"I'll sue them for delayed gratification."

"You mean because they'll be making you wait for your meal?"

"No. I mean because they'll be making me wait to have you moving inside me."

Edward choked on the water he'd been sipping, and I chuckled. Served him right for teasing me.

He smirked. "Let's change the subject before I embarrass us both in this restaurant by doing something…unseemly and Emmett and Rose ban us from here forever. Have you given any more thought to what we spoke about this afternoon? You finishing up your credits?"

I sighed. "Edward, I told you, I'm not about that life. I don't need a degree." I shrugged.

"Everyone needs a degree, Bella," he contradicted, sitting back in his chair.

"Well, that's not an option for me," I said succinctly. "So guess what the little dude did today?" I launched into a conversation about Little Dude's latest antic, and Edward gave me a look that said he knew exactly what I was doing. But he must've been in a good mood today because he didn't push.

When our meal came we ate quickly and excitedly, as if we were practicing for Saturday night. We both shared our dishes, the way we tended to now; Edward would take a few bites of my burger, or fries, or wings and such, and I'd share his salad, or salmon, or whatever health conscious dish he'd chosen for the night. This way we both got the best of both worlds; something yummy and something healthy. It was how we seemed to work in everything: he took a little of me and I took a little of him.

When we left the restaurant I was surprised when he took the road out of town instead of heading to his apartment, which we'd been doing for the past few nights.

"Are we going back to your parent's tonight?" I asked.

"No, not exactly," he answered vaguely while his lips gave a slight twitch.

I narrowed my eyes at his mysteriousness, wondering why we'd skipped my favorite part of the evenings. See, every night we fooled around a little more and more. Last night I'd given him another wonderful, erotic and delicious hand-job, and he'd reciprocated by sliding a couple of fingers inside me while sucking on my breasts. So, so yummy. As the nights went by we'd been losing more and more of our clothing while rolling around together. Last night for example, only the underwear had remained. It was an important garment though, because we both knew once those came off, all bets would also be off. I'd been wishing they would've come off last night, but alas, it wasn't to be. I'd have to wait another…forty-eight hours and fifteen minutes.

I was honestly to the point now where I wasn't sure how I'd last 'til Saturday. Maybe he thought the same thing too, and that's why he wasn't taking us back to his place? Or maybe he was just too tired to even fool around tonight, though he'd seemed pretty energized during dinner. Most nights, Edward was exhausted once his shift ended, and while I would've been more than fine with just chillin' by the pool or laying on his sofa – or his bed - he'd been taking me out more lately. It kinda made me feel guilty because I knew he was tired.

I loved him so much; more than I could've ever imagined loving someone; more than I could remember loving my parents - even more…yes, even more than I'd loved Jamie. And the thing was, I was almost sure that Edward loved me too. Yes, we had different views on our future, but I was sure we could work them out if we _both_ really wanted to. It would be like we compromised on everything else; on what we ate for dinner, and on how far we went at night. Maybe he really didn't need the fairy tale to be happy. Maybe one of those strange little nursery rhymes would be enough.

I would've been almost completely convinced that we could work it out if it wasn't for a couple of things:

The first: the ghost that still lingered around in the outer edges of our little world – like a memory that could never be completely erased.

Bree.

She was still there; the other night had proven that. Hopefully not as the object of his desire any longer, but he still thought about her. That knowledge physically hurt, but what else could I expect? They'd been together for almost a decade, and now he worked so closely to her, saw her every day, and I was sure she still wanted him. But he swore he didn't want her anymore, and I had to believe him. I could only hope that his conscious feelings matched those in the deepest recesses of his subconscious, especially now that I knew how ill-equipped she'd always been at giving him his happily ever after. She'd betrayed him; betrayed his trust and his love. And I still wasn't sure if it was something he needed to know, and if so, if he needed to know by me.

The second: the one big secret he hadn't seemed to have figured out about me; why I needed Jamie so much. He wanted to know why I'd left college, why I never stayed anywhere afterwards, and I knew he'd come to his own wrong conclusions on some of it. But I couldn't clear it up, not yet, because then he'd know how much power he truly had over me. He was afraid _I'd_ leave but he still hadn't realized the most fundamental thing - it was _all_ in his hands.

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward pulled up along the deserted shoreline far below the cliffs where he and I usually lay. Before opening up the door for me, he pulled a blanket and a couple of towels I hadn't noticed out of the back seat. The blanket he lay out on the moist sand, the towels he tucked under one arm.

"What are we doing?" I asked, my heart fluttering.

"You'll see," he smirked, and then took my hand and led me wordlessly through the darkened woods behind the shore. We twisted through thick trees and wet grass while the fading day provided just enough light to go by. But Edward seemed to be an expert with the path, and I could tell by the way pulled me through that even without light he'd know where he was going. After a few more turns we emerged at a small clearing, half way up. I looked over the cliff to river below.

"Well?" I grinned.

He pursed his lips, but his green eyes shone with excitement. "Well…" he repeated, and then huffed. "We're going to jump, but from here, not from up there." He pointed with his thumb at the cliffs above.

I squealed and launched myself at him, almost knocking him off balance.

"Whoa!" he chuckled, "We're not ready to go over just yet."

"What do we do first, count to three?" I asked, while he slid me back down to my feet.

"Yes," he grinned, "among other things." And with his eyes firmly on mine, and his mouth turned up in a sly grin, he began undoing the buttons on his shirt. I watched in fascination as he slid it off and then removed his undershirt before undoing the button on his fly.

"Well?" he chuckled heartily. "Are we doing this or what?"

I blinked and quickly reached for the hem of my tank top, lifting it over my head. When it cleared my eyes I saw that Edward was already in his boxers, so I hastily undid my fly and shimmied out of my shorts. And then we were standing facing each other in underwear. His strong shoulders gleamed in the setting sun, and his toned chest rose and fell with each breath he took. He was utterly beautiful. I breathed out unevenly when his eyes roamed up and down my body appreciatively, and when he took a step closer, I stopped breathing altogether.

His darkened eyes rested intently on mine while his hands moved behind me and carefully unclasped my bra. His eyes didn't leave mine when it fell off, and neither did they stray as his hands trailed down my back and he slowly lowered my panties down my thighs until they fell the rest of the way on their own.

My chest heaved with longing for everything this moment promised. For the love I hoped I saw in his eyes, for the desire and lust swirling black and open and unapologetically. With shaking hands I reached out and pulled down on his boxers and let them fall, and then rested my hands on his firm and smooth backside. I heard his sharp intake of breath and then felt his hands on my backside as well, running them back and forth tenderly.

"I said I'd _never_ let you jump these cliffs," he said. I could hear the way his voice trembled. "But I don't want that word to exist between us, Bella. I want there to always be options, and hope and the possibility for more between us."

I gazed into his eyes, and in that moment I would've given him anything. I _could_ believe in more, in a future I'd never envisioned for myself. All was possible when Edward looked at me that way.

His hands ghosted around my hips, sending a scorching flame down my thighs. It mixed with the slight coolness in the air and suddenly I was shivering. But then Edward took my hand in his.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded.

He grinned. "Okay, you hold on to my hand, and _now_ we count to three."

The excitement of everything we were about to do hit me full force, and I nodded again, much more vehemently this time. Edward turned us towards the cliff.

"One, two, three!" And then I was soaring, my hand wrapped in his and we hit the cold water and I felt terrified and exhilarated all at once as I went deeper and deeper. But Edward held on and we emerged together and before I knew it he'd guided me back to shore.

Bewildered and petrified and more than a little cold, Edward started laughing and I couldn't help joining in. We reached the spot where he'd left the towels and blanket and he wrapped me tightly in both towels before wrapping his arms even tighter around me. And with obvious adrenaline coursing through his system he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me with a passion that inflamed me.

"How was that?" he murmured against my mouth, while water droplets from his hair rained down on my shoulders, cooling my now burning skin.

"Crazy. Fantastic," I whispered against his mouth. "Crazy fantastic."

He nodded quickly and dropped over the blanket, pulling me down with him. My towel-laden body covered his while our mouths and tongues found each other once again. The sun had disappeared and the night and ocean's breeze combined coolly, but I could've been in the scorchiest desert, and Edward's hot skin under mine proved he felt the same. I was burning, and the towels were too much and somehow I managed to unwrap them from around me and flung them off while Edward and I kissed and rocked against each other – both of us knowing exactly where we were headed.

He sat up under me, his scorching erection right on my stomach while his hands moved eagerly across my back.

"What happened to the date?" I asked breathlessly while his mouth and tongue burned a trail down my throat.

"Nothing's ever set in stone, Bella, I want you to remember that. We've got options, besides, I've got a couple of apples in the car if you need dinner first," he quipped, and then took my breast in his mouth.

"Options. Okay," I managed to murmur, wrapping my hands around his face while he sucked eagerly. "And no. No dinner." He shifted his hips and I balanced myself precariously over him. His eyes came back up to me, locking on mine.

"Are you ready?" he asked lowly, and I nodded before lowering myself over him and crying out when he slid all the way in. Edward groaned, his eyes never leaving mine and then instinct took over as I moved up and down. We kissed with the delicious sloppiness of two people who can't concentrate; tongues and teeth clashing and fighting for dominance while hips pushed and pulled. Edward's hands gripped my hips firmly, holding me tightly against him before lifting me and lowering me and once we'd figured out the mutual rhythm we enjoyed best his hands trailed up my sides and he grabbed my face in his hands. With the water lapping and breaking behind us and the breeze humming in the trees in front, we cried out and moaned. And when I felt the need to rock faster I pushed his back against the blanket and sat straight up over him, arching my back so I could feel him in all new places while his hands roamed freely all over my body, cupping my breasts, touching me where we were connected. I cried out once more.

"Yes, Bella. You're perfect. You're perfect for me, Bella."

I rocked faster, lowering my mouth to his, elated at the feel of his sweaty chest against mine, at the lines of raw pleasure on his forehead.

"Edward," I moaned. "Harder, Edward. Harder."

He grinned wickedly and then absolutely beamed, and for a moment it was clear; he'd probably wanted to push in harder all along, but being used to Bree's dainty little games he hadn't been sure…I'd have to teach him.

But now he thrust his hips up hard, hitting me in all the right places. Flames licked up and down my thighs and when I cried out this time it was out of a pleasure that was so intense I could barely see.

"Yes, Edward. Like that," I cried, "Just like that."

Edward thrust hard and deep a few more times before letting out a low oath, slackening and collapsing under me. Then I collapsed over him; two sweaty, slack, and panting bodies heaving heavily.

I kept my head on his chest for a long time while Edward played with my tangled, wet hair. After a few minutes, the breeze hitting our sweaty bodies made me shiver, and Edward reached out and grabbed the towels, spreading them over me. But they were wet and cold and made me shiver even more, so I wriggled them off.

"Maybe I should've thought this thing through better," he chuckled apologetically. The reverberations from his laughter seeped through his chest into mine, filling my soul.

I picked my head up and looked at him. His hair stuck up in a dozen different directions, and in the dark his eyes looked black. But his lips were twisted in that smirk I loved, and he looked sated and happier than he'd looked since the day I met him. _I_ did that.

"It was perfect," I told him honestly.

I wanted to say it, and when he opened his mouth I thought he'd been about to say it too.

"Yes, it was."

He gripped my face again and pulled me up to meet his lips, and neither one of us said anything else for a long while after that.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? Yes, I've got a thing for good lovin' by the ocean. Sue me. See you later this week.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' facebook page is on my profile.**


	20. Chapter 20 Stormy

**A/N: I received a couple of questions about birth control for Bella. Yes, she is on birth control, and no, not the pill because wandering from town to town when would she have gotten a chance to keep refilling her prescription, right? No, she's on something longer term – like one of those five year shots you can get to make sure you don't pop any babies out in the foreseeable future. And yes, she's told Edward about it.**

**Thanks for all your wonderful reviews guys. I wish I could get back to them, but even getting these chapters out has been a struggle this summer. Hopefully now with the kiddies going back to school I'll have more time…**

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing this monster of a chapter for me.**

**This is ALL BPoV. I really wish I would've had time to do E's PoV for this, but it may have to wait until I'm back from vacay the week after next. If I can possibly finish it between now and early tomorrow morning, I'll send it out.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 20 - Stormy**

**BPoV**

_Maybe we moved too fast. In hindsight, while the summer seemed to have stretched out for years, we'd only truly revealed our feelings over those last few weeks. Perhaps we tried to rush something that needed more time to grow, to develop, to blossom into something that may have had a chance at surviving._

_Or maybe, in your own words of fate and destiny and predetermined courses, it was just never meant to be…_

OOOOOOOOOO

Alice, Jasper and I sat in a booth by the window in the little diner across the street from the hospital. Jasper met us here after Alice and I finished our whirlwind shopping spree all around Forks' Main Street - which had taken us all of an hour. Ha!

With a pleased grin, I held up the dress I'd bought for me and Edward's dinner out tonight in Port Angeles: a pretty little red halter number that came down to just above my knees with a skinny patent black belt around my waist and a slit on the side. Tanya helped me pick it out, as well as these black patent crazy heels to go with it, quick fast this time, unlike the torment that had been finding a dress for the benefit. In ten minutes I'd had the dress in hand. Unfortunately she held me hostage for another thirty minutes with final measurements and crap for the dress she and her gran were finishing up for my "engagement party." Whatever – it was unanimously agreed around the table that the red dress had been worth the torture.

"You're gonna have to turn your head now while Alice and I ooh and ahhh through _these_," I warned Jasper. I stuck my hand in the little black shopping bag holding my new unmentionables for the evening. They'd taken fifteen minutes to pick out over in the only lingerie store in Forks – mixed in with the granny panties and nursing bras. A jolt of electricity coursed through me just feeling their matching red silkiness against the tips of my fingers and picturing Edward taking them off tonight. Not that he seemed to mind my current collection, but yeah, something new and nice and red was definitely in order for tonight…

My thighs clenched together.

Alice clapped her hands excitedly and squealed. "They're perfect! They're perfect!"

Jasper smirked with his face turned to the window. "Doesn't really matter what you wear. If he's anything like _me,_ he'll have you out of the whole package in about twelve point five seconds once you reach your hotel room. Am I right, Al?" He asked smugly.

Alice giggled. "Sounds about right - give or take half a second." She leaned into him and whispered in his ear loud enough for me to hear, "But you know you enjoy that twelve second or so glimpse of them before they come off."

Jasper chuckled lowly and turned his head to meet her mouth and then they just kissed and giggled the way they tended to.

I watched them absently. In my head I was recalculating my previous estimations based on the new information Jasper had just provided. This would shave at least four point five minutes off my previous computations!

Two nights ago out on that beach making love to Edward had been the single most satisfying, sensual, erotic and tender moment of my life. Afterwards we'd gone back to his apartment and showered together and made love once again.

_Made love_.

I smiled to myself, my body tingled and warmed all over. I'd never thought I'd find myself using that phrase to describe sex. But I understood it now. Yeah, I understood why my skin blazed at Edward's touch, and why when he'd entered me it had felt like nothing before, like we were fused together, like his body was coming home to mine. It seemed so obvious that I marveled that I hadn't put two and two together the moment I'd spied my real life "David," across that medically scented exam room. But I hadn't been an expert - at any of it.

"Somebody's looking forward to tonight!" I heard Alice sing out. I blinked out of the daze I'd just put myself in, grinning from ear to ear.

"You _know_ I am," I snorted, then took a long sip of my chocolate milkshake.

Jasper chuckled heartily and looked out the window again, his brows furrowing against the afternoon glare. I followed his gaze and then let my own eyes trail up to the sky. A few grey clouds lingered in the horizon. I hadn't seen those in a while. Out of my periphery I saw Jasper's grin fade, so I followed his gaze once more and glimpsed Bree stepping out of the hospital, looking oh so dainty in her pretty career suit and smart matching pocketbook and shoes and carefully looking both ways before crossing the street. I turned away.

Jasper scowled down at his own shake.

The three of us seemed pretty engrossed in our frothy concoctions for a while, and then Alice broke the silence with her sugary sweet voice.

"You know, I've been thinking, Edward doesn't really need to know about _any_ of that stuff. It's in the past and he's _so_ in love with you now, Bella. What _she_ did then doesn't affect his life now in any way. What do you think, Jasper?" She angled herself towards him, always eager to hear her other half's thoughts and opinions.

"Yeah," Jasper said slowly after a long pause. "Yeah, Al, I think you're right. Why even bring it up? What do you think, Bella?"

I kinda hated the way they assumed sometimes that just because I was a couple of years older than them I was busting at the rims with all this extra bountiful knowledge. Personally I was still trying to process the "so in love with you now," part Alice had thrown out there. I hoped it was true. I suspected it _might_ be. I mean, you gotta be _in_ love to _make_ love, don't you?

I couldn't be sure. Fuck, I was no expert - at any of this. _Did_ Edward truly love _me_ now? _Was_ Bree's betrayal something we could neatly sweep under the rug now because of this?

I sighed and wrapped my mouth around my oversized shake straw, sucking it all up in one go and giving myself one mean motherfucking brain freeze. Ow.

OOOOOOOOOO

I used the keys Edward had given me and let myself into his apartment to get ready for tonight. To save time – something I was a big fan of today – he'd taken his clothes to the hospital and was going to shower and change there. Then after I was ready, I'd meet him there and we'd drive off to Port Angeles, have our fancy dinner, go back to the hotel room and 'make love' 'til the cows came home!

Or 'til sun-up at the very least.

Fine, maybe just 'til our bodies gave out.

Edward was by the nurse's station when I walked into the ER. His back was to me and he was talking to Julia; about something funny based on the laughter that echoed down the hallway. I paused in my steps to check him out because Jesus, Edward was a sight even from behind. I could tell he'd just showered because his bronze hair looked dark and wet. His dark slacks lay perfectly over his toned legs. My eyes helplessly trailed up to that perfect ass he had. His hands were casually in his pockets and the dark blazer he wore defined a narrow waist and the way his lean upper torso expanded at his broad shoulders. I practically salivated at the mouth like that Pavlov dog, anticipating the night to come.

Just as I was wiping off some drool, Nurse Julia looked up and caught me. She grinned from ear to ear but I put my finger to my lips and then removed my long-ass heels so I could tip toe quiet as a mouse over to Edward.

"I don't know," he was chuckling when I neared enough to hear him. "She likes the crispy ones and I keep telling her-"

I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind and got on the tips of my toes to reach his neck. "Caught ya!"

Julia laughed and Edward turned around in my arms and if Edward from behind was good, a glimpse of those green eyes and that jaw…GONER. Me. I gasped shortly while his eyes crinkled with amusement and…something else, an emotion I thought I was seeing more and more lately.

"Yeah, you did," he smirked, wrapping his arms around my waist. "You definitely caught me."

I grinned, and flipped his lip. "I've told you not to smirk at me."

He didn't answer. Instead he held me at arm's length while his eyes roamed up and down my body in much the same way mine had just done the circuit over his.

"Wait!" I pulled away from him while furiously hopping on one foot and then the other to get my heels back on. "Okay, now you can check me out." I raised my chin, sucked in my cheeks and raised my brows, and proceeded to do one of those pompous model twirls.

By the time I stopped I'd managed to go ahead and make myself dizzy. I laughed, but the way his eyes blazed with approval and longing shut me up and really made my head spin.

"Jesus, Bella," he shook his head as if in disbelief and reached out to take my hand. "You couldn't look any more perfect." His hands gripped my waist, pulling me into him again. I rested my hands on his forearms and inhaled unevenly, looking up at him through wide, anxious eyes because all the emotion in his eyes was making me light-headed.

Nurse Julia broke the strange spell that had come over us. "Alrighty you two, get going there before you set this whole damn hospital on fire with those looks, and then you won't be going nowhere 'cause Doctor Edward here'll have dozens of patients to treat!"

The cutest red blush crept over Edward's skin. He chuckled lightly and extended his arm to me. "Shall we?"

"Bye Jules," I called out as Edward and I walked down the hall hand in hand. "See ya!"

"Bye babe," Julia chuckled heartily before we went through the doors.

OOOOOOOOOO

I had to admit, the restaurant really was beautiful - probably the prettiest restaurant I'd ever been to. You know, the type of joint where they set out about a dozen different glasses in front of you for all sorts of different drinks, and about twenty different sets of utensils, all for different courses and purposes? By the time the salad came out I was already lost.

"So which fork do I use to dig into this?" I whispered with a quiet laugh.

Edward picked up his correct fork for me to see, and I nodded and picked up my corresponding one. He chuckled at me, but I didn't mind. Whatever fucking glass was the right one had been filled a couple of times already with wine, and I was having a grand ole time.

After every course, the waiter's assistant would come out and refill our water, ask if we needed more wine, and use this funky little knife to scrape away every last crumb on the table. A good thing because the bread they kept bringing sure was yummy.

"You're going to get full on bread and not eat your main course," Edward warned, his lips twitching in amusement.

"You and I seem to have two very differing definitions for what tonight's main course will be because believe me, this bread won't be meeting _my_ definition." I tore a small piece off my roll and stuffed it in my mouth.

A slow grin spread across Edward's face. He picked up his water glass and took a quick sip, his eyes never leaving mine. "And why don't you tell me what you see as tonight's main course?" I swallowed quickly and was about to answer but he leaned in, one side of his grin lifting higher than the other. "Better yet, why don't you let me tell you what _my_ main course will be tonight?"

I gulped. "Tell me."

In the past couple of days, Edward had let loose a previously repressed and heretofore quite welcome horny side. I kept wondering to myself how much he'd had to hold back because of Bree's stupid little coy games.

Needless to say, Edward's description of his main course was a gazillion times more tempting than what was eventually brought out by the waiter. My pelvic muscles kegeled away under the table like Olympic contenders. Not that I could blame the restaurant for the disappearance of my appetite; I'm sure they tried their best, though by the time my steak came out I was too flushed and hot and bothered to enjoy one single solitary bite. I just sorta moved everything round and round with my fork restlessly.

Edward looked at me and chuckled. "Is there something wrong with your steak, Bella? We can have it sent back and wait for another one if they didn't prepare this one to your liking." His eyes twinkled with mirth.

I set my fork down and leveled him with an even glare. "You know what, Doctor Cullen, I think I've had just about enough of your teasing."

"Have you now?"

"Yes, I have," I said emphatically, crossing my arms across my chest. The action lifted my breasts up higher, and I could see the way Edward's head dropped slightly as his eyes fell to them. He bit his lower lip, and without raising his head, raised his darkened eyes to me.

"And I don't think I'll let you inside my panties tonight," I exclaimed, lifting my chin for emphasis. I leaned in across the table, purposely giving him a bird's eye view of the pretty tatas I knew he loved. "Which is a shame," I breathed huskily, "because they really are some pretty panties." His eyes widened and I grinned smugly. "All red," I went on in a willowy tone, "and silky and lacey, and oh so _tiny_."

He swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, but he tried to play it off with a raised brow. "Is that so, Miss Swan? Are you challenging me?"

I shrugged daintily, leaning away from him slowly. "Take it as you will."

He gave me that glare that had melted my insides from day one, and then his right hand shot up in the air and he snapped his fingers. "Check please."

I giggled.

OOOOOOOOOO

Alright, so while my kegels may have been gold-medal-worthy, I wouldn't be medaling in the 'Girl-Who-Can-Hold-Out-the-Longest' event of the Olympics.

As soon as the door closed behind us Edward gripped my hips and pressed me against it, crashing his mouth against mine. My hands went into his hair wildly, tongues clashing against each other with a frenzied fervor. He lowered his mouth to my neck and across the top of my chest, kissing and licking and biting everywhere.

"So what were you saying at the restaurant?" he growled huskily while I gripped his hair in desperation as his tongue darted into the space between my breasts.

"Nothing," I breathed shakily. "Never mind. Disregard it. I talk shit sometimes."

He chuckled, his mouth fighting its way into my dress, and the vibrations from the sound tickled my entire chest, making me shiver. His hands reached for the hem of my dress and he quickly lifted it and while I readied myself for some mind-blowing-up-against-the-door-love-making he suddenly dropped to his knees in front of me. I felt his warm breath between my thighs and my heart dropped to the floor.

"Edward…" I moaned, my heart now back in my chest and thumping furiously.

He looked up at me through almost onyx eyes, his chest heaving. "Is this okay?"

My heart swelled for him and I ran my hands through his soft hair tenderly. "Edward," I murmured, "you can do anything you want to my body. It's yours. You don't have to ask."

He gave me another one of those beams, like when we'd been at the cliffs and I'd told him to do me harder, and then his expression changed and lust filled his eyes once more.

I closed my eyes and threw my head against the door as I felt him lowering my panties. "They really are pretty," he said almost wistfully.

I almost managed to chuckle but then his tongue stroked me right where I was throbbing and the chuckle morphed into this kinda high pitched mewl. Edward licked and sucked and his fingers explored while I moaned and cried and begged, fisting his hair in my hands and guiding his head. When I came he held me up with his strong hands on my hips while his tongue and firm lips finished me off. My heart raced in my chest. I felt dazed and surreal, barely able to register him standing up and supporting my weight with only one hand. But when he undid his fly and lifted my leg around his waist before thrusting inside me in one swift motion, all feeling returned once again. The sparks…the sparks that had always been there really came out full force when we joined this way; no longer sparks but a scorching flame, melding us together.

"Ungh, Edward!" I cried out.

"Bella! Oh Bella, you're so sweet, baby," he hissed, ramming into me over and over while the door behind us thumped back and forth from the pressure. His mouth came back to mine and our tongues mingled while our hips rocked together. When I came again, he swallowed up my cries and my neck muffled his final groan as he emptied himself inside me.

We sank down together to the floor - and talked and chuckled there for a while before he picked me up and carried me to the bed. And I mused to myself how wrong Alice and Jasper had been because it took us about an hour before _all_ the clothes were finally off.

OOOOOOOOOO

I awoke sometime in the middle of the night, and almost instantly smiled to myself. I was cuddled into Edward, his naked body serving as my blanket, which was just fine by me. But then I realized what had woken me.

Edward was mumbling in his sleep.

He tended to do this, especially when he was exhausted and after a couple more times of lovemaking over the night I was pretty sure that was the case. Most of the time I couldn't understand what the heck he was saying, but sometimes a word or two would make sense.

"…your hair…" I caught now - and smiled to myself, because he liked playing with my hair. Fully content and satisfied and happy in a way I'd never been in my life, I closed my eyes and drifted off again.

OOOOOOOOOO

We were having lunch in the hospital cafeteria a couple of days later.

"Bella, what are you going to do about school?" Edward asked.

I sighed and picked up a tomato from my salad with my hand, staring at it closely before stuffing it in my mouth. Edward had given me a few days of reprieve from this topic of convo, but here it was, back again.

"Bella, you have to make a decision before your birthday next month," he urged gently. "You should really finish your degree, and besides, I don't want you to have that huge bill on your shoulders. I mean, of course I'll help you pay for it if-"

I looked up at him. "Edward, I don't want your money. I couldn't care less about all that."

"I know that, love," he grinned tenderly.

It wasn't that I was opposed to going back to school per se. But it would take me away from him, and I'd become so used to seeing him everyday. I knew it was childish and maybe just a little co-dependent, but fuck, who would've ever thought I'd feel dependent on someone else in the first place? Give me a minute to adjust here!

Still yes, it was true. The clock it was a'ticking.

I drew in a deep breath. "I guess I could call Miss Cope and see what my options are…" I trailed off.

He beamed at me. "There you go," he cooed encouragingly, "Just look at all your options love, that's all I'm saying."

And yeah, just like that I felt better because I wanted Edward to be proud of me. No, I wouldn't compare myself to Bree, but the truth was she _was_ this extremely well-prepared individual, I admitted begrudgingly, and it wouldn't be fair to ask Edward to settle for something so inferior. He was a doctor for God's sakes, and it was bad enough he wasn't getting anywhere near the fairy-tale. I didn't want to stick him with an urban legend instead.

"Hey," I exclaimed, anxious to change the subject and get myself out of the semi-dark thoughts I'd just given myself, "Guess what? Ally and I finished moving all my stuff in this morning!" I bounced in my seat happily.

He chuckled. "Bella, we brought all your stuff back to my place last weekend. All you had left were a couple of odds and ends."

"Well, I got all those odds and ends outta there," I said, motioning with my thumb.

Funny, I'd arrived in Forks with only a backpack and eighty bucks to my name, and now I had my own truck, a cell phone, so much more clothes thanks to shop-happy Alice, a few more books to read by the pool, my pretty necklace…

"Though I did have to deal with Hoverer giving me her spiel on how much she was going to miss having me around every morning and blah, blah, blah," I rolled my eyes.

Edward burst out laughing. He reached out and took my hand, bringing it up to his lips and placing a soft kiss on it. "Well, I guess we'll have to celebrate your officially moving in later tonight."

And that sounded like a hell of an idea to me.

OOOOOOOOOO

Back at Edward's apartment later that day, I decided to surprise him by cleaning up the place. I mean, not that it wasn't neat and tidy already. Edward was a very orderly guy, totally different from any other guy I'd ever shacked up with. Ty had kept that motel room we shared like a total pig pen; I constantly had to pick up his shit and throw out his McDonald's leftovers. And Felix, Felix wasn't so much dirty, but cigarette butts and lighters and ashtrays had been strewn around all over the place.

Funny, I hadn't craved a ciggy in a few weeks I suddenly realized. And with a huge smile on my face I picked up the broom and swept up. Then I pulled out the vacuum and sucked up all the non-existent dirt on the rugs. Ditto when I dusted. So I put in a couple of loads of laundry and did our wash, sorting it all out neatly and folding it nicely when it was done. And then seeing I still had a couple of hours to kill before Edward got home I decided to put the laundry away before I started on dinner. I was going to make us something special tonight: Bacon tacos.

I sang to myself as I put Edward's socks away in his sock drawer. _"Hey baby, won't you look my way, I can be your new addiction…"_

I pushed aside a couple of pairs of Edward's socks to make room for the ones I was putting away, and then something caught my eye…

It was a picture that had been all the way in the back of the drawer, pressed up against a corner.

The day was bright and sunny in the background, much like this summer's days had been, and they appeared to be in some sort of meadow. Bree was in jeans and a t-shirt, much more carefree than I'd ever seen her looking all summer since I'd met her, and her face was down and she was facing the camera, and Edward was at her side, angled into her, his arms around her shoulders, and his lips on her cheek. He looked…happy.

I wasn't sure how long I stared at the picture in my hand. It wasn't until the rain started pelting the window insistently that I snapped out of it. With a steady hand, I placed the picture exactly where I'd found it, finished putting all of Edward's socks in, and went to start dinner.

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward enjoyed our dinner. We each had two tacos; one with bacon, and one without, as a compromise. We laughed and we kissed and by the time dinner was over and we loaded the dishwasher together I'd put the picture mostly out of my mind.

I mean really, God knows when he'd put that picture in there. Probably months ago. He was so busy all the time that I was sure he'd just forgotten all about it.

We ended up on the sofa kissing and touching and the way he looked at me, yeah, I was sure he'd just forgotten all about it, and the next time I washed his socks I'd take it out and put it away somewhere else –

like the trash.

OOOOOOOOOO

I went to take my first official bath in the shower that was now officially mine too. We'd had a great first official "our place" dinner, and now Edward was waiting for me in "our" bed. I knew he had to be up early so I meant to hurry, but the hot water just felt so good on my shoulders, and it felt so good to know that this was mine: my tub, my hot water. I lowered my head to the tiles and just sort of stood there, letting the hot water massage my neck…

When I heard the shower door open behind me I smiled to myself, my body tingling in anticipation. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and cupped my breasts in his hands, and the fire licked up and down my thighs.

"You took too long," he murmured in my ear, nibbling on my earlobe. I was in flames.

"I'm sorry," I apologized weakly. And then he turned me around and our mouths found each other, and he parted my lips with his tongue. I ran my hands up and down his chiseled flesh, his firm shoulders and toned arms, his rock solid abs…

He hissed when I took him in my hands, using one to move up and down his shaft while the other rolled his balls around and around. And when I slowly dropped to my knees and looked up at him, his eyes went wide and incredulous.

"Bella…you don't have to-"

"Shhh," I cooed quietly, still playing with his stiff erection. "I want to. Please, Edward. I want to taste you."

He looked bewildered for a moment, before nodding up and down almost hesitantly, but there was no hesitation in the way he gripped my head when I took him in my mouth.

And the truth was that he tasted so good, better than I'd even been expecting, and I'd been expecting some serious yumminess. I moved my mouth and my tongue up and down in ways I'd know he'd like while he moaned and groaned his pleasure. He let go of my head, and when I looked up, he was holding on to either wall, his stomach tight and the sinewy muscles in his arms flexing. He watched me with a dark and primitive gaze as his tongue darted back and forth along his upper lip. I let the sounds that would show him how much I was enjoying this escape from the base of my throat, hoping he felt their vibrations, and he threw his head back in total abandon, his hands once again moving to my head to guide me. When he came, he pushed himself in further, and I grabbed his ass and pushed him in as far as he could go, suspecting that maybe he was still holding himself back.

His groan filled the entire room.

In bed that night, he made love to me slowly, looking down at me with a reverence that took my breath away. And when we fell asleep in each other's arms, the bliss surrounding us was almost an entity to itself.

I awoke to darkness. At first I thought it was the rain pelting down against the bedroom windows that awakened me. The storm had appeared out of nowhere today.

But then I heard Edward mumbling, and I smiled, closing my eyes and snuggling deeper into him.

My eyes flew open at his words. I lifted my head slightly, but after a couple of seconds I was sure I'd heard wrong. The rain had distorted the sound, made me hear something that wasn't there. My heart hammered in my chest, but before I could lie back down, I heard it again.

"Bree."

I closed my eyes and lay my head back on the soft pillow that was now mine, only allowing one tear to fall for all that maybe wasn't.

OOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Don't come at Edward with a pitchfork just yet… (Or at me for that matter. :) )**

**Enjoy your Labor Day next week my fellow Americans – and all you international lovelies too!**


	21. Chapter 21 Freedom & Honesty

**A/N: Yes, it's been a while. Lots of craziness going on. Thanks for pm-ing me and all your wonderful reviews. Won't bother you guys with the details, especially with such a long chapter below.**

**PLEASE NOTE: The italicized portion in the beginning is from Bella's POV, but then right after we switch to Edward's. And then we switch to Bella's once again. I apologize for this, but since the last chapter was only Bella's POV, I had to start this one with Edward's.**

**If there is any confusion, drop me a line and I'll try to clear it up.**

**Thanks so much to my sweet, sweet Beta, Michelle Renker Rhodes, for always being ready to be my wing-woman!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**We're close to the end here...**

**Chapter 21 – Freedom & Honesty**

* * *

_**Bella POV**_

_When I was six, I found a tiny little bird in our back yard. One of his wings appeared to be injured; hanging uselessly at his side while he chirped away sadly. Jamie helped me bring him in the house, and we gathered a few old shirts and pieces of cheerios and bacon and gave that little bird our own version of shelter and food. We sang to him and we told him jokes, and every night we'd bring him up some of our dinner until his sad chirps grew happier, and he started moving that useless wing more and more. I got him a cage and put him in there before he could fly away from me because by that time Jamie had lost interest._

_See, there was this red-headed girl called Victoria, I think, that had just moved in a couple of houses down. _

_Anyway, the little bird was all mine now, but he grew quiet again and seemed restless in his cage, and one night I asked Jamie if he knew what could be bothering him._

"_You need to let him go, Bella," Jamie told me, "so that he could know whether he wants to be out there on his own or in here with you."_

_I didn't want to let my little bird go, but Jamie told me that if you love something, really love it, you have to set it free. If it comes back to you, it was yours. If it doesn't it never was yours._

_So I let my bird go, but it was just a couple of days later that I went to stay with my gran, so I really don't know if he ever came back._

_I can't let myself wonder if you would've ever come back…_

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

Everything felt surreal, shaded by the clouded vision and distant hearing you tended to have when something there wasn't actually there. I could hear her voice, but it sounded too far away. Her barely there strokes left me aching for more and lacked the addictive burn her touch always produced. Nevertheless I felt the now-familiar engorgement between my legs.

It was because I was dreaming about Bella – an occurrence that was nothing out of the ordinary at this point, but something about this particular dream felt…off. Something nagged at the periphery of my mind, like whatever I'd been dreaming about before hadn't been exactly pleasant and had somehow left this dream…tainted. And though I was somewhere between conscious and not quite, part of me knew I should've been able to _really_ feel Bella, _really_ touch her simply by reaching over. But my limbs felt lead-heavy, and every attempt I made to actually feel her warmth came up…cold, and hollow.

I frowned, opening my eyes.

The loud clap of thunder that vibrated the windows distracted me for one second from the vacant space at my side, from why my hand had come up empty. The notch in the middle of Bella's pillow marked the spot where her head had rested; on her side, the blankets were a tangled mess. She tended to swim in bed. Even at rest she was restless.

"Bella?" I called out.

I received no answer. Lazily scratching my fingers over my bare stomach and with a wide yawn stretched across my face, I trailed my eyes to the bright green numbers on the alarm clock that now informed me that I had to be at the hospital in a little over an hour.

"Bella?"

I kept on scratching, pressing down firmly, digging the tips of my fingers into every groove as I got up and silently walked to the bathroom, knocking on the closed door.

"Bella?"

Nothing.

I made my way through the apartment, flicking on lights as I went. Clear and sunny mornings had given way to a typically dark and rainy Forks dawn that cast dim shadows over everything, forcing me to squint to discern every shape. Once or twice I did a double-take, thinking I'd seen her out of the corner of one eye, catching her scent more strongly in certain spaces where she tended to linger; the living room, the kitchen. The apartment even smelled different since she'd moved in – sweeter, softer somehow. More like a home rather than just a place to crash in between hospital hours.

It wasn't until I realized that her backpack wasn't resting on the chair by the door - where it usually lay - that uneasiness morphed into something stronger.

With a quickening heart rate, I searched every nook in the apartment, no longer for her because it was clear by now that she wasn't home - but for the backpack Jamie had given her as a kid.

"_I can't leave without my backpack…"_

"Fuck, where is it?" I muttered anxiously, throwing open closet doors, peeking under the bed and in the kitchen pantry. When the search failed I sat on the floor and closed my eyes, trying to remain rational.

Because I was being ridiculous, wasn't I? She'd probably gone to the store for milk or something, or for an early morning run. So what if these were things she'd never done before. Bella wouldn't do _this_. She _promised_ she wouldn't do this.

I flew to the cell phone on my nightstand and punched in her number.

No answer.

"Fuck," I muttered, swallowing through a dry throat. I hung up and punched in Jake's number.

"Jake, have you heard from Bella?" I could hear the edge in my voice.

"When, this morning?" His own voice sounded rough and unfocused. (I didn't care what the fucker said; it was a rare day when he was up before noon.)

"Yes."

"Uhhm…no. Last I heard from her was yesterday evening. She said something about making bacon tacos. Dude, you better watch that girl when she gets older," he yawned. "Her cholesterol levels are-"

"I've gotta go, Jake."

I punched in the numbers to my parent's house next.

"Mom, is Bella there?"

"Here?" Esme sounded confused. "I don't think so. Why would she be-"

"Mom, can you check…please?"

"Of course," she answered calmly, though I was sure she'd caught the edge of panic in my tone. It wasn't like I was trying to hide it at this point. "Hold on, hon."

I heard her shuffling around, and when she came back on the line her voice was a quiet whisper. "Edward? Yes, she's here, honey. Fast asleep in her bed. In your old bed, I should say," she chuckled. "Did you two argue? It's only a few short days until the engagement party. Not a good time to start arguing, my love," she warned playfully.

I closed my eyes, feeling every muscle in my body slacken.

OOOOOOOOOO

Yes, I was pissed off - more at myself because it wasn't Bella's fault I'd jumped to such messed up conclusions. Just because Bree had unceremoniously walked out on me once didn't mean Bella would. And just because Bella had unceremoniously snuck out on Felix didn't mean she'd do it to me. Besides, what Bella and I had was completely different from those two other fucked up relationships we'd had before finding each other. That realization made me grin; though I was admittedly still upset.

But while I made my way through the winding woodland roads to my parent's house, I was more confused than anything else. I mean, why the hell had Bella left our bed at some point in the early hours of the morning in the first place - without a word to me, mind you - and ended up back at my parent's? We'd had a great night - a great few nights to be exact. I'd never felt so elated in my life. And the sex…Jesus, there were no words. I'd never felt half of the things I felt when making love to Bella. I'd never known it could be so satisfying; the different positions and the open freedom to say what you want and be told clearly what she wanted. I'd never known so much exhilaration.

I'd never known I could come so hard.

But apparently leaving our bed in the wee hours of the morning had been nothing to Bella, at least not based on the animated voice that emanated from the back yard as I made my way up the driveway. Yet even though I'd been admittedly irritated, most of the irritation melted away at that sound. Her voice, her laughter had a way of relaxing me, of loosening me up. Yeah, she'd scared the ever living shit out of me, but _she_ was fine. I comforted myself with that fact as I made my way through the muddy and damp grass into the backyard.

Bella was by the pool, in her tiny little red bikini and dark shades - though there was no sun this morning and a cool breeze was blowing pretty insistently. And while she lay over a lounger with her face up to the sky as if the sun were shining heat rays directly over her, I myself was sporting a short jacket. Uneasiness still rolled around in my stomach as I made my way over, but I simply couldn't fail to note how delicious she always looked in that two piece. The unusually warm summer had left her body with an equally warm glow - I couldn't deny it no matter how many times I'd had to remind her to wear her sunscreen. Watching her now, with her plump breasts and tiny waist and shapely legs – one of them up and bent at the knee - reminded me of how her body had felt against mine last night, of how it felt to be completely engulfed by her, filling her. The way her lips would part and form a beautiful 'o' when she came, the way she'd hold me tight and ride it out completely with me when it was my turn instead of just lying there like she couldn't wait for me to finish now that she was done.

She was on her cell phone. When I reached her, I removed my jacket and placed it over her shoulders because this close to her I could see the goose bumps raising her flesh. She startled and turned to me, smiling and lifting her shades off her eyes. I wrapped my hands around her head and kissed the top, letting my lips linger over the silky threads, inhaling the scent I'd really friggin' missed this morning. I took a seat on the lounger across from her.

She put one finger up signaling for me to hold on. I nodded and dropped my head, resting my forearms on my legs while I waited.

"Okay, so you'll let me know then?" she said into her phone.

"How long do you think that might take?"

"What would you need from me?"

"Would they cover all of it if I decided to go that route?"

I furrowed my brows.

"By when would you need my response?"

"So what's the name of the gentleman to whom I need to speak?"

"Okay, I'll wait to hear from both of you then."

Her conversation wound down, and she hung up. I raised my head and caught her biting her lip thoughtfully before she met my gaze, smiling again.

Fine, I'd start with something innocuous. "What are you doing out here?"

She lifted her head up to the sky again, the smile still on her lips. "Seeing if I can catch the last of the summer's rays."

"I think it's safe to say you missed them, love."

"Mm. Yeah, maybe. I get so pale in the winter, so pasty and blegh."

"You've got a while yet to worry about that. And you could never be pasty, anyway. Or blegh."

She laughed. "Did you just say blegh? And yes, I do get pasty."

"We'll see."

"Mm. Thanks for the jacket, by the way. It is kinda chilly, I guess."

"Yes, it is. Your nipples were showing through."

She chuckled really loudly at that, arching her back. "You perv. You would notice that!"

"It's kind of hard not to in that bathing suit."

"I thought you liked my bathing suit!"

"Are we really going to sit here and pretend you didn't sneak out of the apartment in the wee hours of the morning without a word?"

She sighed, keeping her eyes to the sky. We were both quiet for a minute.

"Hey, guess who I was just talking to? Miss Cope," she answered herself.

I nodded. "What did she say?"

She didn't respond right away, but then abruptly swung her legs over and sat up, pushing her arms inside the jacket sleeves and holding it close around her so that she only remained bare from thighs down. The sleeves were long on her so she wrapped the ends around her hands. Somehow she managed to look even sexier than before, her hair all loose and blowing lightly in the breeze, like a magazine ad for a sports jacket any man in his right mind would now buy just to have his girlfriend wear it with nothing but a red bikini underneath – if that girlfriend looked anything like Bella, which wasn't likely.

I kept my eyes on hers though while she grinned up at me. I knew Bella well enough by now to know I wouldn't get anything out of her until she was ready, so we'd take this roundabout course instead.

"Okay," she said, sounding suddenly more animated, "so I decided to listen to you and explore all my options. Listen to how backwards the State of Arizona's social system is," she chuckled. "I can go back to Arizona State next month and finish up my degree there, and the State will cover my tuition and board and hook me up with the therapist I was seeing before - a really boring dude, by the way," she rolled her eyes. "But if I want to transfer to an out-of-state university like Washington State in Seattle, they'll transfer my credits but won't pay for me to finish up there. Isn't that totally crazy?"

I smirked because paid tuition or not, Seattle sounded a hell of a lot better to me than her returning to Phoenix. "Totally crazy," I agreed, "but I guess they want to keep their best and brightest in-State." She rolled her eyes. "Bella, I'll help with the tuition if you want to go to Washington State."

"You know," - she grinned wryly, leaning into me. Her sweet scent wafted my way, and I inhaled it eagerly - "I know it's probably hard for you to imagine based on the pool bum existence I've led this summer, but I _have_ held a job or two in my life." She winked and backed away.

"Have you now?" I grinned back, trying to ease some of the tension in the air. She smirked at me. "Was Miss Cope able to offer you any other options?" I asked.

She held my gaze quietly before lying back across the lounger, once again taking up her sun-worshipper position, this time folding her hands behind her head and closing her eyes, folding both legs up at the knees.

"Yup. I can keep living the easy life here in Forks while completing my degree online. They'll pay for the credits, and either way, she said she could find me a therapist in the area. I wonder if my new therapist would be willing to hold our sessions by the pool?" she mused thoughtfully.

"It would definitely be a plus for you _and_ your therapist," I quipped.

"Totally," she agreed. "Maybe in between online classes and pool-side shrink appointments, I can waitress at The Grille, or babysit the Little Dude. I can't be a pool bum forever. Hey, do you think Emmett and Rosalie would pay me to be Brady's nanny?"

"Sounds like you'll be busy. Do you think you'll be able to find time for me in between your classes and pool sessions and waitressing and nannying?" I teased.

If this is what had been bothering her, then we were okay. She'd been worried about school, and it seemed like Miss Cope had given her one really great option. Nothing would have to change now, and this Saturday morning I'd give her the ring, and…

"Maybe," she hedged with a wry grin, lifting her chin up to the clouds. "I think I've spoiled you."

Unable to resist her any longer, I reached out and rested my palm on her bare thigh, cool to the touch, but as my hand moved back and forth the goose bumps lessened, and her skin warmed.

"You _have_ spoiled me," I whispered. "But I like the way you spoil me. In fact, I love it."

"Hmm," she hummed, reaching down and wrapping one hand around mine, gripping me tight while we stroked her softly. I leaned closer to the mouth I'd been aching for all morning – perfect and pouty.

"Bella, is this what you were worried…"

"So they won't pay for out-of-state colleges but check this out. Miss Cope said there's this work-study abroad program I'd probably qualify for if I was interested." I leaned away from her to let her finish. "I'm telling you, these social programs are all backwards! They'll pay for me to go study in Siberia but not in Seattle!" She shook her head and chuckled again.

"I doubt you'd like Siberia. You wouldn't get much use out of your bikini over there," I grinned.

"Yeah," she ruminated absently while our hands rubbed circles around her thigh. "Siberia would be out of the question. Maybe they could send me somewhere warmer, like the Sahara."

I moved close to her mouth again, ghosting over it. "The Sahara gets cold at night, love."

Her lips moved softly with mine, eyes still closed. I groaned and knelt to the ground to reach her better, cupping her face with one hand - so soft and warm.

"Not the Sahara then," she agreed through stolen breaths against my mouth. "The French Riviera. Or Tuscany."

I snorted, sucking on her bottom lip gently. "Tuscany - that would be convenient," I joked.

"It would," she whispered so low I barely heard.

I chuckled and lifted my wandering hand higher on her thigh, wondering if she'd let me get her off here. Yeah, she would. We were alone, out of anyone's field of vision if they should wander out – I'd simply stop before anyone could see what was going on, but God I wanted to see that beautiful look of pleasure on her face. The anticipation alone hardened me instantly.

"You know I'll take you to Tuscany as soon as I can get away again," I offered while my fingers trailed higher. Her breath hitched and I smiled.

"But if the State's willing to pay for it, you wouldn't have to," she barely breathed

I froze, my fingers coming to a standstill right at the edge of her pretty red bottoms.

She opened her eyes and stared at me while I backed away and met her gaze.

"You're not actually considering that option are you?"

"You know I've always wanted to go to Tuscany. And going to school there sounds like…fun. They're just options, Edward; things for me to consider - to think about, just like you said."

I felt as if I'd been hit by a bus I hadn't even seen coming. "Okay." I exhaled through narrowed lips. "If that's what you _really_ wanted to do I could probably manage a couple of long weekends up there between now and Thanksgiving," I speculated, "and maybe an entire week for the-"

"You wouldn't have to do that, Edward."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that…I wouldn't want you to feel like going to see me was something you had to do." She shrugged and looked away, fiddling with a loose strand on the lounger's plush cushion.

I swallowed against the sudden dryness in my throat and waited for her to jump up and tell me she was just joking, pulling my leg, for her to burst into fits and point a finger, yelling "gotcha!"

But she didn't.

"Bella, everything was fine last night and then this morning-"

"You said her name, Edward." She turned her eyes back to me and smiled again, but it was so weak this time, and her lips trembled slightly. It broke my heart though I honestly had no idea what in the world she was talking about.

"What?" I spat.

"Last night, in your sleep," she whispered, "you called out Bree's name."

It took me a few seconds to process her words because they made absolutely no sense, and all the while I shook my head. "No."

"Yes, Edward," she contradicted with a soft nod, lifting herself up on one elbow.

"No." I kept shaking my head roughly. "I couldn't have. You must've been dreaming, or imagining-"

She smiled again and drew in a really deep breath. "No, Edward," she breathed out. "You have a picture of both of you, in your sock drawer. I wasn't looking through your things," she shook her head urgently, eyes wide, "but I found it yesterday when I was putting away the laundry."

You want to know the worst thing? There was no anger, no accusation when she told me these things - just a quiet sadness she kept trying to hide with that wistful smile. At first I couldn't place the picture either, but then it slowly came back to me. I'd put it away when I'd first moved back from New Hampshire; a token…a memory…when I was still the stupid guy who thought he knew everything, including what real and true love really felt like. But I'd known _nothing_ before Bella.

"Bella," I said anxiously, "I swear to you; I'd completely forgotten about that picture."

She sat up quickly and wrapped surprisingly cold hands around my face while I remained on my knees in front of her. Then she chuckled a little. "I figured that, Edward. I'm not upset at you, I swear, and I'm not demanding an explanation. Of course I understand."

"Bella-" I choked out.

"Shh," she murmured. One of her hands trailed down my cheek to my jaw, down to my bobbing Adam's apple and lower still to my chest, where her palm finally came to a rest over my heart. "You were with her for almost a decade. She's bound to…linger."

I gripped her hand in mine and kept it over my chest so she could feel the way it beat for her. "She doesn't _linger_ there, Bella. _You_ are the only one in there." I gazed intently into her chocolate eyes, hypnotized by them, by her fluttering lashes even now. It seemed as if she was waiting for something, but I wasn't sure what.

"I told you I'd stay for as long as you wanted me, Edward," she finally said, "but it _has_ to be real. I _need_ it to be real."

I brought my mouth to hers and there was nothing soft in the way I kissed her. The fire that was always there, waiting in the background to be released only when we were alone took over and my mouth moved with hers fervently this time. When I parted her lips, our tongues found each other with an eager frenzy that made her moan, which in turn awoke every primal instinct in me to claim her because she was _mine_. She was mine, and she drove me wild and crazy in every way that mattered, and I knew that would _always_ be the case. I welcomed it. I craved it.

"Do you feel that, Bella?" I asked against her mouth while the sparks flowed and the addictive burn filled us with increasing need. She nodded, chest heaving, eyes beautifully dazed. "Have you _ever_ felt that?" I whispered. She shook her head. "It's _real_. It doesn't get any more real."

I kissed her again, but abruptly she pulled away and looked down at the ground between us, shaking her head quickly as if trying to clear it.

"I _have_ to be sure." She whispered intently. "Before I make a decision about school, I have to make sure." Her eyes came back up to me. "I'm going to stay here with your parents again, just until that dumb party and…I think we shouldn't see each other for these next few days."

"What? _Why_?" I asked, bewildered.

"You haven't given yourself _time_, Edward," she stressed. "Time to think and just…_be_. It was her and then it was me."

"I don't need time," I snapped. "Time isn't going to change how I feel about you!"

"Good," she chuckled humorlessly. "It's just a few short days, Edward, until after that silly party. It'll give us both a little time to sort some things out, and if nothing changes then I'll come back to the apartment, and we'll make love all night long," she whispered with undisguised longing, "and we'll _both_ know, without a shadow of a doubt, that somehow this is right."

I shook my head, clenching my jaw defiantly. "I _already_ know, Bella. I don't care what I said in my sleep; _you _are the only one I'll ever want." I kissed her again, softly this time. "These lips are the only lips I'll ever want to kiss."

I gazed into her eyes, and Jesus I wished I would've brought the ring with me so I could've given it to her right then and there. But I'd said something stupid in my sleep. She'd found a long-forgotten picture in my drawer, and I could see it in her eyes; sometime between last night and this morning, she'd already decided.

She kissed me back, softly and full of apology. "You know the old me would've thrown caution to the wind, Edward, and let the chips fall where they may. But _this_ me, the one that wants so badly for this between us to work, _needs_ to be sure." She rested her forehead on mine, and now I could see the tired circles under her dark eyes.

I closed my eyes and snorted. "And the old me would've been the one being careful, over thinking things. But _this_ me, the one that _knows_ that you and I are right, just wants you with me." I shook my head against hers and sighed, opening my eyes back up. "So how about you come back _now,_ and we make love all night long?" I mused weakly, caressing her cheek with the back of my fingers and already knowing her answer.

She closed her eyes for a moment, biting her lip hard as if trying to ground herself before chuckling back just as weakly.

My Bella - always sunshine on her face, no matter what.

"Horny perv," she accused when she opened her eyes back up. "It's not even night time."

I grinned through the ache in my chest, but then the grin faded because I simply couldn't play the cheerful game as well as she did. "Bella, no - I don't need-"

Her cell phone vibrated just then and she looked down at it quickly. "It's the dean that Miss Cope said would be calling. I have to take this Edward, it's important, and you have to get to work. You're already late."

"Bella, I'm not agreeing to this."

"I'll call you, okay?"

"Bella!"

But she'd already picked up her call, and it was important to her future, and besides, without another word she stood up and walked away, leaving me staring after her long, bare legs and wondering how the hell we'd ended up here.

**BPoV**

I drummed my fingers against the retro plastic table, exhaling impatiently as I glanced out of the window for the tenth time. The sun had never made another appearance since the last night I'd spent with Edward, a couple of days ago. Rain now blanketed the streets. Heavy drops fell across the pavement, onto the moving cars crisscrossing in front of the hospital. The pretty and lively town I'd discovered almost three months ago now looked grey and dreary under an equally colorless sky, every object blending and fading into the next.

Or maybe it was just my mood because when I finally did catch sight of her I could've sworn the already dismal day grew even more so. The streets darkened. The raindrops expanded and grew heavier, thunder clapped louder against the diner's large windows. All remaining color leached out of my surroundings until all that remained was a monochromatic little town.

Bree herself was dressed in black and white, one of those pretty black skirts she tended to wear, with smart black heels and an equally smart short black raincoat with a silky white blouse peeking out from underneath. Her hair looked perfect despite the crappy weather - not a strand out of place. She always looked so pretty, so well-dressed and groomed and just…in control. Like even her hair obeyed her long-range plans, her goals. No matter what, I had to give her that.

I kept drumming, even as she sat down across from me in the booth, removing her pocketbook and placing it neatly next to her, and then removing her raincoat and daintily hanging it from the hooks at the end of the booth. My own backpack and hoody lay crumpled together at my side, all wet and soggy. I wondered if Jamie minded their condition.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said in an admittedly apologetic tone, keeping her eyes on the table between us, specifically on a little red stain I myself had noticed before. I think it was dried up ketchup or something that had been allowed to linger for way too long and had therefore left a permanent mark - a pretty fitting analogy right now.

Bree kept right on talking. "I had some last minute paperwork to take care of and-"

"Why did you cheat on him?"

Her already huge eyes grew even wider, like two saucers against her face, though she kept them on that poor unfortunate stain. And then abruptly her stiff shoulders seemed to slacken.

"Wow, talk about getting right to it."

"I have no reason not to."

She raised her head and her saucers met mine. "Does Edward know?"

I shook my head. We glared at each other silently.

"Do you plan on telling him?" she finally asked.

"I don't think it's my place to do so."

She was quiet again for a while, reaching down to straighten out her skirt, to zip her pocketbook closed lest any important stuff fall out, to smooth out her hair while mine was probably as frizzy as a sheep's in heat - oh well.

"It was an accident."

I snorted, feeling the heat rise to my face. "An accident? What, did you unintentionally fall on top of Mike's dick with your legs wide open and no panties on?"

She twisted her upper lip. "You don't have to be so crude about it."

"Oh, excuse me," I snarled, straightening my back and lifting my chin arrogantly, "I wasn't aware we were discussing such a pure and solemn act."

Her lips pressed together and tightened into a flat line, and her dainty little nostrils flared. "Don't judge me, Isabella," she said through barely moving lips. "You know nothing of my relationship with Edward. He wasn't the carefree, openly loving boyfriend he seems to be with you."

I wanted to tell her that I knew enough to know that that was her own fault. But I wasn't here for that.

"First of all, I'm not judging you, Bree. Second of all, I'm not here to compare notes on Edward, so let's not even go there. What I want to know is why," I swallowed thickly and tried to keep my voice even, "when you still obviously want him, you cheated on him and left him?"

Her saucers widened into pure, all-out-no-lie unidentified flying objects. I kid you not.

She laced her hands together in front of her, sitting up straight as an arrow; the perfect posture of a well-trained physician. "I guess because, in the back of my mind, our break-up was never meant to be permanent."

And with those words she knocked all the air out of my lungs. But I swallowed again and tried to breathe.

Her eyes grew glassy, her voice slightly shaky. "I mean, Edward and I were different from who we'd been when we'd started, and I thought…well when I came back to Forks for a visit once and he stayed up in New Hampshire, Mike and I went out for some drinks and…"

She looked up at me pleadingly.

I rolled my eyes. "Ugh, yes, I get it; you can spare me the gory details."

"It was different, Isabella. I'd always known Mike liked me, and he was so…different. And then when I went back to New Hampshire…" She shook her head and looked down.

"Why weren't you just honest with him, then? Why didn't you just tell him what happened and try to work it out?"

Her head shot up, tight and angry. "Don't you understand? I didn't want to work it out. I _wanted_ out. I wanted to try things out with Mike and then if…then if…"

"If things didn't work out, if you got your little something different out of your system," I hissed, "you'd fly back into Edward's open and waiting arms. Like a lost little bird."

She nodded, slowly, one solitary tear rolling down her pink cheek. But I couldn't get myself to feel one _teeny tiny_ little iota of pity for her because this was _my_ Edward we were talking about; my beautiful, sweet, brooding Edward, and her using him that way tore at my heart.

"So you kept the truth from him and kept him dangling, because you just needed to get something out of your system," I grinned disgustedly.

"You say it with such contempt, Isabella." She wiped away at her tear roughly. "But it's not like I purposely set out to hurt Edward. Everyone makes mistakes, and yes, it was a mistake, and I should've gone about things differently, but I needed to find _myself_, to figure out what _I_ really wanted before I could give him that ultimate commitment he craved - marriage and children. But then you came along and…" she snorted, "well everything became moot, didn't it?"

I must've paled, my face must've fallen off, and horror must've been plastered on my face - just as if I would've been watching that movie about that girl in black that climbed out of the well, you know, the one with the creepy video-tape? - because Bree's expression turned into one of confusion before a slow understanding spread across it.

"Yes, Isabella," she said tiredly. I had to admit there was no animosity behind her words - simply sadness and…regret. "Edward and I spoke about marriage, children. A boy and a girl-"

It was as if an invisible hand reached out and clenched my chest tightly between thick fingers, reminding me of all I was taking away from Edward, the things she'd been willing to give him…and that I'd never be able to, not with my fucked up past and fears. What if I promised him forever and then couldn't deliver; sicknesses and accidents and…_fires_, all conspired to separate us? And God, children…beautiful bronze-haired, green-eyed children depending on Edward and me to keep them safe…to keep _ourselves_ safe for them - left all alone to find their own way in the world if anything ever happened to us. I shuddered.

"I told you," I cut her off, "I'm not here to discuss any of that."

"So what _are_ you here to discuss, Isabella? Why did you ask me to meet you here?"

Under the table, I gripped the edges of my seat to steel myself, and reminded myself that beyond anything else, I wanted Edward's happiness.

"_If you love something, set it free; if it comes back…"_

Yes, I trusted that Edward was mine. But I had to be sure that even with _all_ the information, he'd still come back to _me_.

"I think you should tell Edward."

Her brows furrowed, forming a deep 'v' between them. "That I cheated on him with Mike? What would be the point now?"

"Not just that." I shook my head, and drew in a deep breath. "Everything else. What you were thinking. What you still…think." I huffed impatiently.

For a long time, Bree simply sat there, watching me with a befuddled expression. "You're…you're giving me a chance to win him back?"

"Hell. No," I hissed through clenched teeth, tightening my grip on the seat to keep myself from choking a bitch. "Edward is _mine_. I'm not giving you the green light for _anything_," I snarled clearly. "I'm simply saying that I think you owe him the truth, so that we can _all_ move on from this bullshit."

She stared at me through those UFOs of hers, but didn't answer one way or the other.

OOOOOOOOOO

I played the radio full blast on the way back to the Cullen's, trying to drown out my thoughts with those of the artists of the billboard's top fifty.

"…_still stuck in that time when we called it love, but even the sun sets in paradise…"_

I changed the station on Adam, regardless of what a fine-ass specimen he was.

"_Don't wake me uuuuup…"_

I changed that too.

"_Blow me one last kiss…"_

Nope.

"_They knew better, still you said forever, and ever. Who knew?"_

"Ah man, Pink, baby, you are not helping here."

I switched the radio off, and just then my cell phone rang with Claire de Lune.

Edward. He'd programmed it himself.

Over the past couple of days we'd spoken on the phone a couple of times a day. But I wanted to give him space, even if he didn't realize he needed it. And space meant not picking up the phone every time he called. Otherwise, what would be the point of this short but oh so painful separation?

So I let it ring and go to voice mail and missed him so friggin' much and tried to comfort myself with the thought that he'd be _uber_-proud of me for not picking up while I was driving.

But by the time I reached the house, I knew something was wrong with me. My hands trembled almost violently, and my heart felt like I had a racehorse just hammering for first place inside my chest. I staggered into the kitchen, where Hoverer stood by the stove, and opened up the fridge quickly, grabbing a bottle of water. But I couldn't even open it. Instead I leaned my head against the stainless steel door and just stood there, closing my eyes against the dizziness that now overwhelmed me.

"Bella?" I heard Esme approach. "Bella, honey, what's wrong?" I felt her hand on my shoulder.

"Esme, I think I'm having a heart attack," I moaned honestly, breathing through narrowed lips.

She took my hand and calmly led me to the kitchen table, helping me sit on one of the chairs. I felt her palm up over my forehead, her fingers on my pulse, and then a hand up against my rapidly beating heart.

"Put your head between your legs, Bella," she instructed calmly after her inspection, "and breathe in and out."

"Maybe you should call an ambulance," I panted, sticking my head between my legs like she'd instructed.

"You're not having a heart attack, honey," she said gently, while I tried to control my breathing. "You're having an anxiety attack. Just breathe in and out and you'll be fine." Her hand stroked my back.

Maybe it was her words, or the gentle way in which she spoke them – in which she _always_ spoke to me regardless of the cool, arm's length stance I'd taken with her since day one. Maybe it was the feel of her warm hand on my back, softly yet firmly rubbing to and fro – the way I vaguely remembered my mother doing so when I'd fallen off my bike and scraped my knee once.

I started crying.

I cried and I cried, and all the while she spoke sweet soothing words I could barely hear through my bawls, but I could _feel_ them in my heart, which just made me cry all the more. And she kept stroking my back, smoothing my hair away.

And when I finally picked myself up, she smiled tenderly and stroked my cheek with the back of her fingers.

"Esme," I whispered, "can I talk to you about something, about a few things actually?"

She drew in a deep breath, sort of like relief or something. "Of course you can, sweetie."

OOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts guys?**

**Just a handful of chapters left.**

**I've got the new story already written out – in my head. Hah! I'm going to try to get a few chapters actually typed out before I start posting, while also working on something else near and dear to my heart, so it may be a couple of months or so until we hear from each other once this story is done. But in the meantime you can always keep in touch on Twitter and Facebook.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to Facebook page is on my profile.**


	22. Chapter 22 Frozen

**A/N: Hey guys. Told you I'd get you a Friday update! Thanks for all the reviews; I've loved reading them all and I wish I had time right now to get back to them. Someday.**

**Anyway, I need to clear one thing up. I DID NOT base Bree's excuse for cheating on Edward on "Cheatergate." Yes, I'm a Rob fan as opposed to a "Robsten" fan, but my story is MY story, not based on whatever is going on in real life between them. This story was already outlined and planned out months ago, to which my beta can attest. **

**I've been told I should start giving tissue warnings, so here you go. **

****Tissue Warning** **

**Oh yeah, and you should probably nail down your laptops and handheld devices…**

**And here's a little note from my beta, Michelle Renker Rhodes:**

**I just wanted to pipe in here and say that Patty and I did indeed talk about the plot to this story long before real life "issues" came to light. As a matter of fact, it was earlier in the summer, and we had one crazy fun day of e-mail tag that actually occurred while I was with my kids at Cedar Pointe, so they will attest to being irritated with me . And I would also like to say that she is brilliant and wonderful to work with, but you better get that hanky handy for this chapter.**

**Her words, not mine.**

**Okay, only Edward POV here. It was necessary this way. Next week we'll go back to both POVs.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer. **

**Ch. 22 Frozen**

* * *

**EPOV**

_I was never like that bird you and Jamie found as kids. I never asked, I never **needed** for you to set me free. I was **happy - **unequivocally, unparalleled, incomparably **happy**. And had I known then what I know now, had I realized how much you needed me to assure you of that without the shadow of a doubt, how much you needed to know that it was only **you** I needed, not some stupid fairy tale, not the bells and whistles, **ONLY YOU**, then I would've shouted it from the highest rooftops. I should've told you, let you hear those three simple words because though I'd tried to show you, though I'd tried to express it through different actions, you craved those words you simply hadn't heard enough in your life. And I'm sorry. I'll always be so damned sorry that it took me so long to figure all that out - I'm sorry for how messed up everything got…_

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Hey, love. I'm just…calling to say hi. I haven't heard from you all day and since I had a few minutes I was hoping we could talk…" I drew in a breath and raked my hand through my hair. "Anyway, call me later if you can. I should be done in the next couple of hours. I…could stop by tonight if you want." I snorted. "I know. I know our party is tomorrow and you're probably extremely busy with last minute preparations and dress-fittings," I droned sarcastically, "so I'll understand if you can't call me back. I'll call you."

I stared at the laptop screen in front of me for a few minutes after hanging up, but I couldn't process what I was looking at. Everything jumbled together into lines and lines of random letters and numbers – black on white. Finally exhaling and blinking a few times, I raked my hand down my face.

"Come on, Cullen. Get this done."

A couple of hours later, with all my necessary paperwork finally completed for the evening, I picked up my messenger bag and walked out into the quiet hallways, where monitors and equipment droned in the background - constants in my brain. I'd heard them for about the past eighteen hours.

"Finally going home, Doctor Cullen?" Julia called as I passed the Nurse's station.

"Yes." I stopped to smile tiredly. "It's been a long day."

"Mhm," she agreed with an exaggerated nod, scrutinizing me up and down the way she used to do with Jake and I when we were kids hanging around the ER, waiting for something bloody and quick-paced to happen. And those times when it actually would, I ached so badly to stick my hands in there and help, to somehow make it _better_. It was a feeling that had stayed with me; it was why I was still hanging around these hallways. Eventually Jake had gotten bored and had started hanging around his cousin's garage instead, and hell, no one could deny he knew what the fuck he was doing there. But to me…well the monitor's beeps, the scents, and the opportunity to make someone _better_…they were worth the weariness in my bones.

It was all good though, as Bella would say. Jake and I remained tight through it all. Through different career choices, through distance due to school, and through a decade of my dating a girl he'd honestly never been able to stomach. Ironic how the girl I was with now brought out a completely different reaction in him.

"You look tired, Edward," Julia smirked. She always addressed me by my first name when no other doctors or patients were around. It wasn't like she hadn't known me since the age of five, for God's sakes.

"My girl Bella wearing you out?" she chuckled. "Better get used to it." She went on without letting me answer. "That girl looks like she's got a _whole_ lot of energy to put to use. Where's she been for the past few days, anyway? I haven't seen her cheery face around here."

I smirked back, but otherwise tried to keep any expression off of my face. I liked Julia. She was more than a nurse; she was an old family friend, but Bella and my issues were no one's concern but our own.

"She's around," I shrugged noncommittally.

Julia narrowed her eyes a little too perceptively.

"You go ahead and go home, Edward," she said softly. "You've been here since before I arrived, and you two have a long day ahead of you tomorrow," she added.

The reminder of the party that Bella was dreading, but which I was now looking forward to for more than one reason, lifted my spirits. These long, last few days would soon be over, since Bella had promised that this self-imposed torture would end tomorrow. I'd finally give her the ring that would show her how deep my commitment to her actually was, and she'd know without a doubt how sure _I_ was of _us_.

I grinned. Yes. Tomorrow all this would be over.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked Julia, half turning.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, babe," she replied, before the phone rang and she turned her attention to it.

I made my way down the hallway, thinking of Bella and wondering why I hadn't heard from her all day. She'd sounded tired last night when we spoke, more than just physically. Her attempts at her usual liveliness had felt almost..forced, and when I'd offered to come get her and put an end to this ridiculousness, she'd simply chuckled and accused _me_ of being impatient. Then she'd promised me we'd see each other on Saturday, and that if I still missed her, then she'd give me a night I'd never forget. And while the offer had sounded extremely tempting, I would've still preferred to have gotten her home last evening.

I pulled out my phone and tried calling her again, but once more it went to her still-as-of-yet-not-set-up voicemail. Feeling anxious, I called the house and this time at least greeted my mother before getting to the point.

"Hey, mom, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. I haven't heard from Bella all day…" I shoved the doors marked "Emergency Room Exit" open.

Now, Esme wasn't a stupid woman mind you, and I was pretty sure that the fact that Bella was staying over at their place again hadn't exactly gone unnoticed. But she hadn't questioned me about it, and I doubted Bella had provided much in the way of info either.

"Actually, hon," my mom said, "Tanya and her grandmother have been here for the better part of the afternoon making final alterations on the dress."

I cringed. "Bella must be enjoying that."

"Well, it probably isn't the best timing in the world, but Bella's being a trooper about it. She's only threatened to choke Tanya twice." I heard some commotion in the background. "Oh, wait – three times."

I chuckled before the first part of her statement got to me. "Is Bella really okay, mom?"

There was a short silence on the other line. I paused just outside of the hospital, waiting for my mom's response.

"Edward, darling, do you have time to come over tonight for a little while?"

I recognized that tone. I'd grown up with that tone.

"I was given very specific instructions not to show my face around there before tomorrow." I tried to keep my tone light, but I could still hear the slight irritation in it. The fact was that I'd never agreed to this and though I was sure my words must've just puzzled Esme all the more, I couldn't pretend.

She sighed. "Edward, regardless of what Bella may have said, I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to see you. She misses you a lot, you know. And you two should really talk. I mean really, really talk."

I fisted my hair in my hands, suddenly getting the feeling that my mom knew a hell of a lot more than I'd been giving her credit for.

After hanging up with Esme, I stood around for a few seconds longer, but that's about all the time it took to determine my destination because I'd been yearning for nothing more than being with Bella, and if she got pissed off at me for showing up, I'd deal with it. I loved her, and I hadn't even said the words. I'd been waiting to give her the ring, but suddenly all the waiting made no sense.

I reached the hospital's parking lot and walked up to my car. The alarm beeped twice as I unlocked the doors. First I'd stop by the apartment and pick up the ring and then-

"Edward!"

I instinctively turned at the sound of my name, even before my mind had the chance to register the source, and was met by Bree approaching me quickly, an anxious expression set on her face. I stiffened uncomfortably while at the same time wondering why the hell the sight of her still made me uneasy, why I felt a knot at the base of my stomach every time I saw her, what the hell she'd been doing in my dreams the other night.

All these things ran quickly through my head while she came to a stop a few short feet away. Out of my periphery, I could see her clutching a file to her chest.

"What's going on, Bree?" I asked impatiently, anxious to get to Bella. The crazy emotions I felt at the sight of Bree were completely different from the wonderful craziness Bella made me feel.

Her chest heaved and she smoothed her hair down with one hand, making sure every strand was in place before she spoke. I remembered that action. It was something she did when she was nervous; when she had something to tell me and couldn't quite anticipate my reaction.

"I'm glad I caught you. Julia at the ER said you'd left a few minutes ago."

I nodded, waiting for her to continue, but she simply stared at me. I looked down at my watch.

"Did you need something? I'm sort of in a rush."

She lifted her brows high, as if surprised by my hurry. "Yes, actually there's an important matter" – she held the file up – "that I really need to speak with you about."

I pursed my lips and looked down at my watch again. "Can it wait? I won't be here tomorrow, but the following morning-"

"Edward, it can't wait. It's really important."

She sounded honestly distressed, and though I wanted more than anything to get to Bella and though being around Bree now felt more awkward than anything, I'd chosen this profession, and whatever she seemed to need to speak with me about appeared to be urgent.

"What is it?" I sighed, jerking my chin towards the file she held up.

She took a few steps closer. "It's not something I feel comfortable discussing out here in the open. Can we sit in the car?"

I drew in a deep breath and let it out in one long huff. "Yeah, sure," I said impatiently, and moved around to the passenger side to open the door for her. A sense of déjà vu hit me as I walked back over to the driver's side. How many times had we done exactly this over the years?

But this time it felt stiff and business-like.

Apparently her thoughts had been somewhere around the same neighborhood as mine, though not quite.

"Feels almost like old times, doesn't it?" She smiled shyly when I got in. "You opening the door for me. Us in this car. You were always such a gentleman, Edward."

"Thanks. So what's going on?" I asked, perhaps a bit more brusquely than I'd meant to.

Her face seemed to fall. She simply stared at me for a couple of seconds before her previous urgency returned. Her eyes trailed down to her lap, where the thin file she'd been holding now lay, and she ran one finger over it.

"I shouldn't be showing you this. I mean, you may already know, but…" She held the file tightly between her hands and closed her eyes for a fraction of a second before sighing and handing me the file.

Now while Bree had always been a…serious person, cryptic had never been part of her repertoire, so by this point, I was pretty worked up. I took the file from her and opened it hastily, scanning through the first couple of pages, before her name caught my eye.

_Isabella Marie Swan_

"This morning I received a phone call from a woman at the Department of Social Services in Phoenix. She said she was a case worker for a young woman who'd relocated to the area, and she was trying to locate a mental health therapist for her. She told me the young woman was a former foster child, now at the university level, looking to complete her credits locally, and in order for the young woman to remain in compliance with the state program she had to see a therapist quarterly, at least. I asked her to fax me the paperwork and I'd take a look at it and…" she trailed off shakily while I skimmed through the file, every muscle in my body wound tight like a coil.

It included faxed copies of Bella's birth certificate, the names of her parents, her sibling, her grandmother, her record of entry into the State of Arizona Foster Care system, the names and dates of the various families she'd been placed with. It also included comments and findings during her stay with these people as well as the findings of every therapist she'd seen since the age of seven. "_Bright. Intelligent, but refuses to speak about the event that brought her into the foster system; refuses to speak about her parents; refuses to speak about her brother; refuses to accept her brother's death." _One therapist diagnosed her with ADHD while another disputed it based on her grades. Another believed she might have PTSD, while yet another shot that down. A record of her four month disappearance at age fifteen, medical records of physical examinations, her acceptance into Arizona State, and on and on I read, while my pulse raced and my breathing grew shallow. I could feel the vein in my forehead bulging.

"You had no right," I hissed slowly, trying to rein myself in. "You had no right to look at this."

"So you did know," Bree breathed.

I clenched my jaw, my mouth in a tight line, and snapped the file closed, feeling my entire body vibrate. "You had no right. _This_ is a conflict of interest," I emphasized, jabbing an angry finger over the file," and _you_ should've excused yourself," I snarled.

"Edward, I had no idea the woman was referring to Isabella!" Bree responded indignantly. "I had no idea until after she faxed the file over, and I took a look at it."

I searched her eyes while she stared at me frantically, and though I couldn't be sure, I suspected she was telling the truth. "You have to excuse yourself. You know that right?" I stated raggedly. "And you have an ethical obligation to keep all this confidential-"

"Don't sit there and lecture me on my ethical obligations, Edward." Bree's nostrils flared. "I know them well. Yes, I know I shouldn't have even shared this with _you_, but I _had_ to tell you-"

"I already knew!" I yelled, running my hand through my hair. "I already knew."

Her eyes grew wide. "Then why are you with her, Edward?" she cried in disbelief.

I closed my eyes and turned to the windshield, shaking my head. "Bree, don't."

"I don't know how much she's actually told you, but I read through that entire file Edward, and yes, I know I have to keep it all confidential, but do you know what that file adds up to? Someone who will _never_ be able to truly commit!"

"Bree" I warned in a low growl, but she went on.

"My heart goes out to her because she had it rough, but I've worked with people like her before, when I did my volunteer work in New Hampshire, remember? She'll never be able to fully trust, Edward, she'll never be able to completely commit" – she reached out and put her palm on my cheek – "and she'll never be able to give you the life you've always wanted; the one you deserve."

I jerked my head away from her hand, looking at her sideways. "What do you know about the life I want or deserve?" I snarled. "You know what? I'm not getting into this with you, Bree. I've told you before, you know nothing of my relationship with Bella. Now you're going to call Miss Cope back and tell her that you need to excuse yourself from this case for personal reasons" - I narrowed my eyes – "because you _know_ you can't work on this. It's not ethically right and besides, Bella will _never_ open up to you, and you can't be expected to be impartial."

Her mouth tightened. "I'm aware that there's a conflict here, Edward, and I've already called Miss Cope and excused myself."

"Good. Then I don't need to remind you that you can't speak about any of this, with anyone."

"No, you don't," she spat.

"Then we're done here." I turned back to the windshield and balanced an elbow over the steering wheel, supporting my head with a fist while I waited for Bree to let herself out.

Unfortunately, she didn't move. "There's more, Edward."

I groaned loudly, no longer trying to hide my frustration. "What?" I snapped.

Again, she didn't speak right away. "Edward, I need to tell you that…that..."

I sighed. With my head still over my fist, I turned to look at her.

"What, Bree?"

She swallowed. "I need to tell you that I still love you."

I stared at her for a few moments, before exhaling loudly through my nose and throwing my head against the seat's headrest.

"I still love you, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for hurting you," she choked out weakly.

I closed my eyes. My head spun. They were the words I'd wanted to hear for months, the words for which I'd "hired" Bella to play my girlfriend.

But the only thing those words managed to accomplish now were to land on my gut like heavy, dead weights.

"Bree, what exactly am I supposed to do with this now? _Now_," I stressed, raking a tired hand down my face, "on the eve of my engagement party?"

"I don't know, I don't know," she cried, and then dropped her head and sobbed quietly. I sighed again and gripped the steering wheel with both hands because _fuck_, I did not need this now. I'd been on my way to see Bella, to put an end to all the bullshit.

"I just know that I had to tell you, especially after…after what I read in that file."

"Don't analyze her, Bree." Tension roughened my voice. "You don't know her. Don't think you can read a file and figure her out like a subject in one of your Psych classes. There's a lot more to her than that."

"I know that she's wrong for you, Edward," she insisted.

My nostril flared. I shook my head and turned away from her to the passenger window at my other side. But then I felt her hand on my shoulder, gripping me. I jumped and turned back to her.

"What?" I yelled.

Bree kept crying. "I understand why you needed her at first, Edward. She was…different, so different from what you and I had, from what we'd become."

"You don't understand a thing about Bella and me," I snarled.

"Yes, I do!" she persisted. "I understand because that's what attracted me to Mike at first. How…different things were with him. That's why…" – her bottom lip trembled and she drew in a long, shaky breath – "that's why when I came back to Forks by myself last year, he and I slept together," she blurted. "Because he was different and I wanted to try _different_ so I could know for sure that what you and I had was what I wanted for the rest of my life."

"So you slept with him to prove to yourself that you loved me?" I snorted.

She looked down at her lap again, twisting her fingers around each other. "I know how stupid it sounds…"

I stared at the way her tears fell over her legs, sliding down the seams of her skirt. I stared and waited; for the anger, for the ache of betrayal, for the invisible hand to clench my heart.

But I felt nothing.

I chuckled stonily. "So you've admitted to cheating. You've cleared your conscience. Now what? What's the point of all this?" I questioned.

She looked up at me then, her large eyes red and puffy. There was a time when that sight would've killed me, but again I simply felt nothing.

"I'm telling you all this Edward," her voice cracked, "because I need you to know how sorry I am and that I never meant to hurt you. But I needed to figure myself out, and I hoped…I hoped that our love was strong enough. I hoped our love would still be there when I found my way."

"Wait." I chuckled again, shaking my head. "So you're blaming me for not waiting around?" Yeah, I knew I was being a bit of an asshole, but she was being a real piece of work here.

"No." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Edward, I broke things off with Mike last night."

The bitter grin I'd been sporting faded. "Bree," I shook my head again, "I hope you didn't do that for-"

"I couldn't," she cut me off. "I couldn't stay with him knowing how much I still loved you." Her head whipped up again and she locked me in her huge eyes. "And after today…" She angled her body towards mine. "Don't you see, Edward? You with Bella, it's the same as me with Mike. You just need to find yourself, to try something different, to get her out of your system."

My jaw fell open, but then I snapped it shut, nostrils flaring once more. "Jesus, Bree. Don't. I'm telling you. Don't."

"I'll wait around, Edward. Until you get this out of your system, because I know I deserve all this. I won't get in your way, but if things with her fall apart, know that I'm here."

I fisted my hair, glaring at her incredulously. She was saying the things I'd once fantasized she'd say. Looking at me all sad and lost and longing. But just like the anger I'd been expecting when she confessed her unfaithfulness, this confession brought with it none of the elation I'd once thought it would. She gave me no happiness. She didn't even give me sadness. Not even the hollow emptiness that had been present after our break-up, in the part of my heart that had once been hers.

"Bree, you and I-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence, because her mouth was suddenly on mine and her arms wrapped around my neck. My eyes bulged. I jerked back and my head hit the window while the palms of my hands pressed up against the door, but she simply pushed herself deeper into me to compensate for the space, all the while sucking on my lips insistently.

And I let her.

Not because I enjoyed it. I knew the second her mouth touched mine that there was nothing there, just like I knew I should've pushed her away, but it felt so strange to have exactly what I'd wanted just a few months ago - and not want it at all. It felt strange to taste _her_ desperation, _her_ desire - and know that I didn't reciprocate it. I let her kiss me so that she could see that her kisses no longer did anything for me – that they'd _never_ do for me what Bella's kisses did. That they never really had.

I wanted her to know that there was someone else now; someone who with fire and flames had branded her name permanently in every corner of my heart – in parts I'd never even known existed.

The anger never came. The elation never came. There was nothing. Sitting there with Bree's mouth on mine I was nothing more than a vacant, emotionless mannequin.

Slowly, Bree backed away, staring at me through huge, shocked eyes. I held her gaze, lifting a brow because really, what the hell had she expected?

But it was that shock on her face more than anything that finally did piss me off; like she'd thought that putting her cold lips on mine would change anything, would erase Bella.

Bella…

That finally woke me up.

I'd just allowed Bree's lips on mine. Only for about five seconds, and just to prove a point, but still…

What the fuck had I just done?

My emotions finally returned, I was suddenly filled with a heady mixture of fury, of shame, of so much fucking guilt.

How would I explain this to Bella – especially now? When she already doubted us? When we were having what was in her mind a fake engagement party tomorrow, but which I'd been hoping to turn into a real one? When her leaving for Tuscany was a very real option?

How would I put that ring on her finger now?

What the fuck had I done?

Rage colored my vision. I could feel it in my veins. I could feel how it morphed my features.

What had I allowed to happen?

"Bree, I think you'd better leave now," I breathed raggedly.

"But, Edward-"

"Now," I growled with a lot more vehemence.

I barely registered her stepping out of the car, walking out into the now rainy Forks evening. I barely remembered driving home. I wasn't even sure how I ended up sitting on my sofa, head sunk in my hands.

I needed Bella. I needed _her_. I wanted _her_. God, how I _loved_ her.

But every limb in my body was frozen.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Hang in there…**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by Pattyrose' is on my profile.**


	23. Chapter 23 Betrayed & Mistaken

**A/N: One of my readers was nice enough to point out to me in a PM (so as not to embarrass me :) ) that the word I should've used last chapter when referring to Bree not taking on Bella as a patient should've been 'recuse,' as opposed to 'excuse.' I knew there was a better word, but I simply couldn't think of it! Anyway, thanks bb, for letting me know. If I ever need it again, hopefully I'll remember it.**

**And a few of you also let me know that my 'tissue warning' last chapter was unwarranted, to which I say, h****ere's the REAL tissue warning.**

****TISSUE WARNING****

**Thanks to the great Michelle Renker Rhodes, for being Beta-girl to my Writer Woman. **

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter 23 - Betrayed & Mistaken**

* * *

**BPoV**

_I'm letting you go, because almost since the beginning of this game, I knew that what mattered the most in the end was your happiness, and if somehow you've come to the conclusion that despite everything it still lies with her, I'll have to respect that. _

_I wish you the best. I really do._

OOOOOOOOOO

After a restless night, I finally managed to get my feet nice and toasty under the white goose down. But now light filtered in through my closed lids. At some point, the long night had ended and taken the rain with it, leaving behind an unusually warm dawn that tickled my cheeks with hot rays, trailed across my brow bone and shadowed over my forehead and scalp. Finally comfortable after freezing my ass off all night, I bundled in deeper and wrapped the comforter all around my body, absorbing its warmth like a nice, safe cocoon.

But some time later, I woke up sweaty and sticky, my scalp and neck drenched in gooey perspiration that crazy-glued the fluffy comforter to my arms and torso.

"Damn it," I breathed, kicking the comforter down to my calves. I managed to push it to my ankles, huffing and puffing when it finally let me go.

"Friggin' death trap," I muttered, opening my eyes and squinting against bright light. Despite my sweaty body, I reached down and wrapped the comforter around me again, bringing it over my head.

After Tanya and her darn gran _finally_ left last evening, Esme informed me that Edward had called and said he'd be stopping by. Despite all the bullshit I'd talked a few days earlier, my heart jumped. To hell with time and space and room to think; thinking was over-rated. When had I forgotten that fact? Besides, I already _knew_ what I wanted. I'd known all summer, and what I wanted had the most hypnotizing green eyes in creation and this strange but beautiful head of bronze hair and was built like "The David" over in Florence but better because when he wrapped me in his arms he wasn't stone but real heat and fire and muscle. Okay so sure, he was a bit anal sometimes, but he made me laugh out loud and feel safe and…home. He took care of me like no one ever had and kissed like no one's business, and when he was inside me, the world disappeared. How could I _possibly_ go to Tuscany when my own personal "David" was right here? I'd made my decision, and as soon as he arrived, I'd tell him.

So I'd waited and waited; thrown the shades and the windows open in the bedroom because I was anxious and fidgety and the rain and cool breeze outside tempered the heat inside me. In my purple and orange Suns jersey, I'd lain down in Edward's old bed and bundled under the covers, listening to the rain while waiting…

And eventually fallen asleep.

A couple of times during the night I'd opened my eyes, fully aware of the fact that Edward wouldn't be coming at this time. Disappointed and honestly too lazy to get up now anyway, the windows had remained open all night, and I'd lain freezing, tossing and turning uncomfortably. I chided myself with the knowledge that if I'd stayed in Edward's apartment those few days ago I would've been a) toasty warm right now, b) sexually satisfied and c) oh so happy. Instead, cold and horny and pissed off at myself is how I'd spent the night, waking to no Edward, a burning throat, and the sneaky sun trying to burn me to death.

OOOOOOOOOO

I swallowed down the cup of OJ Hoverer had squeezed for me, gulping down the aspirin for my sore throat and cringing at the burn as it made its way down.

"Oh, honey, what possessed you to keep your windows open all night?" she questioned gently, placing a hand over my forehead and letting it linger there. "No fever," she murmured to herself.

I tried not to roll my eyes at the concerned look on her face, fighting against the instinct to try to wipe it off with some snarky comment. Besides, it wouldn't work; it never had before, and now Esme had my number. If I was going to try to make things with Edward work, I had to accept the possibility that Hoverer wasn't just a nosy hoverer; she might actually care – especially after all the shit I'd laid at her feet. And hey, if she hadn't kicked me to the curb after getting my life story from beginning to end as well as the _real_ way her son and I had met, I wasn't sure what I had to do here to get that to happen.

"I was all hot and bothered while waiting for Edward."

Okay, so maybe I was still trying to push her buttons a bit. Sue me.

Alice and Rose, who were doing my make up and hair while we all sat in Esme's huge bathroom, both snickered. Esme smiled tenderly.

"I know you miss him." She frowned. "He sounded so eager to come. All I can think is that something probably kept him at the hospital."

"He could've called at least, for God's sakes," Rose muttered, sponging some crap across my face.

"But what if somebody was _dying_?" Alice stressed dramatically. I scowled at her through the mirror because she was being a bit of a vicious bitch with my hair. "He couldn't exactly say, 'oh excuse me dying person, but I have to go call my fiancé and let her know I won't be able to go see her tonight.'"

I chuckled weakly at that one; my throat _and_ my chest ached because Alice and Rose still believed that I was really Edward's fiancé; only Hover- err _Esme_ and I knew the truth.

Rose glared at Alice before turning her attention to Esme. "Esme, did Carlisle say whether the ER was particularly busy last night or whether Edward was working late?"

Esme sighed, a slight frown still marring her forehead. "Carlisle came in late last night, and we haven't really had a chance to talk about his night. He's just gone into the shower to get ready for the party."

Then, apparently taking pity on the way Alice's attempts at doing my hair were making me grimace, she kindly yet firmly pushed Alice out of the way and took over the section of my hair Alice had been working on. Alice huffed quietly and pursed her lips, crossing her arms in front of herself.

I snickered at her petulant expression, but then my throat ached again, effectively shutting me up.

"It's okay. He'll be here in a little while anyway," I whispered. My voice sounded raspy and sick. "I'll just text him again. He was probably still sleeping earlier."

'_**Edward, where are you?'**_

OOOOOOOOOO

Forty-five minutes later, the aspirin had finally kicked in, and my throat no longer felt like a sandstorm in the middle of a barren field, and they'd all finally finished with the crap on my face – which I had to admit looked really nice. It almost didn't look like I had anything on, except my eyelashes looked _uber_ dark and long, and my lips looked so pretty and pink and pouty, and my skin looked so smooth and radiant. Esme had stepped in and undone every single one of the complicated braids Alice had started, much to Alice's chagrin. But then both she and Rose had 'ooed' and 'ahhed' after Esme - with just a little bit of some clear hair serum and her gentle yet knowing hands, molded my natural waves into a style not too different from the loose way I wore it most days, except much more glamorous and unfrizzy. Despite the nervous little creatures that had once again taken up residence in my tummy this morning, even I had to grin at my reflection.

"Oh, Bella," Rose breathed, her voice uneven and wistful, "You look absolutely gorgeous."

I grinned wider, carefully running a couple of fingers down the length of my hair. Despite whatever Esme had put in it, it felt so soft and silky. I could hardly wait for Edward to see me, to touch me. . .

"Yeah," Alice agreed, practically teary-eyed. "You and Edward are going to be so happy together. You're going to get married real soon, and have loads and loads of babies and then when Jasper and I finish college and get married, we'll have babies too, and your babies and Rose and Emmett's babies and our babies will all play together. I can see it all already, and I'm really good at foretelling the future, right Rose? And we'll all be. . ."

To this day, I really have no idea what else Alice said because the blood started pounding between my ears so loudly that I couldn't hear her anymore, and then my heart started racing and my breathing quickened, and before I knew it I was struggling for breaths through narrowed lips.

"Bella, are you okay?" someone asked, but I wasn't sure who, and then Esme was scurrying Rose and Alice out of the bathroom and closing the door behind them. She approached me calmly.

"Bella, take deep breaths honey." Her hand rubbed soothing circles down my back. "Put your head down again if you need to, and take long, deep breaths."

But her hand on my back and the long deep breaths appeared to do the trick, and after a couple of minutes, I felt my heart rate slowing, and the pounding in my head lessened.

"Bella, we don't have to go through with this party," Esme said gently, just like she'd told me a couple of days ago when I'd first had one of these anxiety things, and I'd ended up confessing everything down to my social security number to her. "I can call everyone and cancel - tell them you don't feel well, or that-"

"No, Esme. It's fine. I'll be fine. It's just a dumb party." I shrugged and then felt slightly guilty because though she didn't react at my words I knew how much planning and preparation she'd put into it before learning the truth. "I can deal with the party. It's just…Alice's words kind of…" I shuddered involuntarily.

"Don't mind Alice," Esme smiled. "She's barely left her teenage years behind. Everything's still roses and pearls."

I nodded while my breathing slowly regulated itself. "It's just that…" I swallowed thickly despite the lingering burn in my throat. "This doesn't seem fair, Esme. Not to Edward. Because I don't see those things Alice sees, and I know they were things _he_ always wanted."

Esme, who'd been standing next to me while I sat on the swivel chair they'd provided me for today's beauty event, now bent down slightly so that her soft blue eyes were at the same level as mine, and though it still sort of hurt to let myself look in them for too long, I forced myelf to hold her gaze.

"Bella, first of all, none of us know the future - not you, not me, not even sweet Alice. None of us know what fate has in store for us."

I snorted. "Now I see where Edward got his belief in fate from."

She chuckled, looking down. "Yes, I admit, I may have had something to do with that." Her eyes came back up to me. "But I know my son, Bella, and I know that as rigid as his belief in fate may have once been, I also see the change in him – the openness to believe in something different, to accept that we can't _always_ plan things."

"But that's what…" – I looked away, unsure of how to explain it to her. These were things I'd never tried to explain to anyone, things I'd never tried to put into words. – "That's what frightens me, Esme. You _can't_ plan things. You _don't_ know what the future has in store for you, so how can you ever plan a future with someone? How can you promise to be there for them when you have no idea if you'll still be around the next day, or the next hour?"

"It's called Faith, Bella," she said, not in a condescending way, but as if she was my patient teacher, and I was a student on whom she would never give up. "You have faith that no matter what, you will _try_ to be there for that person, regardless of what the future has planned. Love goes beyond fate, Bella. Love is _faith_."

And then I felt that clench in my heart again, the one that traveled up my throat, closing it off, and then further still to my eyes, making them sting. "I don't know how to compete with a lifetime of memories -with almost a decade of shared faith." I squeezed my eyes tight to keep the moisture at bay.

"Oh Bella, honey," she held my gaze with a smile that clenched my heart even more, "You don't have to compete with those memories. Have you ever heard the saying, 'It's not the quantity, but the quality'?"

I nodded. It sounded like something Jamie may have once said, many, many years ago. . .

"You and Edward have been creating the most wonderful, special memories all summer. You have been creating your own faith in each other."

And then she wrapped her arms around me, and slowly, one arm at a time, I put my arms around her shoulders.

"Talk to Edward when he gets here. Let him know your _real_ fears, Bella."

I nodded against her shoulder.

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward finally called forty-five minutes later. I'd been walking around the back yard, marveling at the transformation. After days of rain, the weather had decided to play nice today and despite still slightly muddy grounds, the heat had mostly dried everything. Esme had gone through with her plan to erect a huge white tent as the main party hall. Inside, hired men and women were setting up everything; tables and chairs, flowers and chandeliers and place settings. Outside the tent, a huge wooden floor was being put down that would serve as the dance area. Flowers, dozens and dozens of pretty blue and white flower arrangements, decorated the entire landscape, both inside and outside of the tent. Jeez, if this is what she did for an "engagement party," it would've been interesting to see what she would've come up with for "the wedding." But that wasn't really a possibility. . .

This was when the phone clutched tightly in my hand finally vibrated.

"Edward!" I breathed with so much excitement I was sure he could hear it in my voice. But I didn't care. I never wanted to hide how much I felt for him again.

"Hey," he answered quietly, and from just that one word, I could hear how tired he was.

"I've been calling and texting you. Is everything okay? Esme said you were going to stop by last night."

"Yeah," he responded in that same tired tone. "I was going to but then, things got…hectic."

"Oh. Well, are you on your way now?" I looked around at the bustling preparations going on around me. "Esme's little shindig will be starting soon. . ."

"Yeah. Yes, I'm on my way. Bella, listen," – he sounded sort of anxious – "Can we talk when I get there, before the party starts? There are a few things I need to tell you."

I frowned. My heart gave one big thump. Edward's tone was making me nervous, but I smiled through it because I'd be seeing him soon, and I'd missed him so much. And I'd jump on him the way I always did when I saw him and kiss him soundly and let him know that I loved him.

I loved him. And if he loved me too, we could try our best to make this work.

"Of course," I answered cheerfully. "There are a few things I'd like to tell you too."

We hung up, and I busied myself by helping out. After all, this was my "engagement party." Carlisle, Jasper and Emmett were setting up the heavier furniture, while Alice ran around putting her last minute touches on everything, and Esme walked around calmly making sure everything was just right.

"Hey, where's that fiancé of yours?" Emmett snickered, carrying half a dozen fold-up chairs from one side of the back yard to the other. "Shouldn't he be helping out a bit here? I mean, it is half his party."

"He got stuck working late at the hospital last night," Rose smirked as she carried a couple of trays of some yummy looking stuff inside the air-conditioned tent. She was trying to balance the baby monitor somewhere in between, and it looked kind of perilous there for a second, so I stepped up quickly and snatched it from her.

"Thanks," she breathed in relief. "Just set it by the table there, and I'll give it a listen whenever I pass by."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll just hold on to it. I've got nothing else to do but stand here and look pretty," I shrugged. "If Little Dude cries, I'll let you know."

Carlisle frowned as he set down his own set of chairs. "I don't recall seeing Edward around the ER late last night."

"Rose is just assuming, darling," Esme clarified, helping to open up some chairs.

"Oh, he's on his way," I grinned, no longer having to pretend to be cheerful because the anticipation at seeing Edward again after the long few days we'd spent apart was making me all warm and tingly inside.

Though it could've been a slight fever from the small cold I seemed to have caught last night.

"Yeah, yeah," Emmett teased with a wink my way. "This is just his way of getting out of the hard labor. Tell you what, Bella, I'd think twice about marrying that lazy brother of mine if he can't hold his own."

"Oh, he can hold his own alright," I sneered wickedly. Anxious to help, I clipped the baby monitor to the top of my dress and started unfolding chairs. "And then some."

"Gross," Jasper laughed heartily. And together, we all finished setting up.

When out of my periphery, I saw someone enter the back yard a few minutes later my heart thumped, but it was just Jake, dressed in a suit and carrying all of his deejay equipment. Esme had wanted to hire a real band, like the one that had played at the benefit last month, but I'd put my foot down at that one. I'd told her she could go ahead and hire a band for the actual wedding, snickering internally at the knowledge that that wouldn't be happening. I wondered what she thought of the way I'd tricked her with that one now that she knew the truth.

Everything set up now, a few uber-early guests trickled in, like Tanya and her grandmother, and Jessica with her date.

"Bella, you may have threatened my life a few times over the past few weeks, but you've gotta admit my grandmother and I did one slamming job with that dress," Tanya grinned.

"Yeah, yeah," I admitted reluctantly, my lips twitching. "I suppose I do look kick-ass." I twirled around for her perusal, letting the back hem of my dark blue silk dress billow around me. In the back, the hem fell to my ankles, but in the front, the dress ended just above my knees. It felt like second skin, so soft and flowing. The thin straps were made so that they rested almost off my shoulders. The top back of the dress plunged low, almost like the dress I'd worn for the benefit. The top front, however, was more reserved than my benefit dress. I mean, it was already short in the front. If Tanya had cut the top low too, she'd only have managed to make me look like a hooch. But the perfectly tasteful way she'd cut it, yeah, I had to admit I loved this dress even more than the one for the benefit.

"I do love it, Tanya," I said gratefully. "You're the best."

"I know I am," she smiled. "Though I gotta say, I would've never picked that baby monitor you've got clipped there as an accessory." She grimaced, flicking the monitor while I chuckled. Then she looked around. "Now where's the groom-to-be? I want to see what he thinks of it."

"He's not here yet," I grinned, despite my growing anxiety. "But he'll be here any second."

One of the hired waiters passed by with a plate of hors d'oeuvres created by Rose.

"Well, I think I'll entertain myself with some of _that_ while we wait," Tanya said, eyeing both the waiter and the hors d'oeuvres and following after them.

I chuckled softly, and that's when I felt his arms wrap around my waist. With a huge sigh, I melted into him, my body sagging against his strong chest as his mouth found the spot just under my ear, and he placed a soft, tender kiss right there. I knew he could feel the way my body shivered, but I didn't care. I loved him, and no one else would ever make me feel the way he did. I grinned and turned in his arms.

"Thank God you're here. I missed you so much, Edward."

I didn't even get a chance to get a good look at him because he wrapped me in his arms so quick and tight. I clung to him just as eagerly, kissing every spot of his neck, inhaling his delicious clean and musky scent, melding myself to him until he loosened his hold on me enough so that I could trail my kisses to his cheek, then his jaw, and then finally, his mouth.

Fire engulfed me when our mouths met. Our tongues instinctively found each other, and I could tell he cared as little as I did about the audience now surrounding us in the middle of the back yard, or that everyone who was interested could get a great bird's eye view of the way our bodies wound tightly around each other's, and the way our desperate and frenzied mouths sucked and bit and licked. I loved him, and I didn't care about anything else.

There was something anxious, teetering on the edge of desperation in the way he tugged on my lips, as if he were trying to make up for something - our days apart I supposed, which was really more my fault than his.

"I've been waiting for you," I murmured against his mouth.

He gripped my hips and pulled me away abruptly while I held on to his forearms. He looked so unbelievably beautiful in his dark suit, the top buttons of his crisp white shirt still undone and a bit of blond fuzz from his chest peaking through. His tie lay loose around his neck. My eyes trailed up to his, which looked so very tired this early afternoon, rimmed in dark circles as if he hadn't slept.

"I stopped by the cliffs for a little while."

"By yourself?" I frowned. Instinctively, I raised one finger, gently ghosting it over the darkened skin.

He closed his eyes and nodded. "I needed to…" – he opened his eyes - "Bella, can we go talk somewhere, please? In private?"

I was about to say yes because I could tell he was distressed about something, but then Tanya appeared next to us.

"So, what do you think?" she asked Edward excitedly. "Doesn't she look beautiful in that dress?"

Edward looked startled for a split second, but then he grabbed my hands, entwining our fingers and guiding me back just enough so that he could trail his eyes from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. He stopped and cocked his head curiously at the baby monitor before bringing his eyes back up to mine. I felt a warm shiver run up my body.

"You look…so damn beautiful, Bella. I love you _so_ damned much," he blurted in a pained, wistful voice that shocked me more than anything. I stood frozen to my spot, my hands tightening around his. Sensing the strange, awkwardness of the moment, Tanya quietly stepped away.

"Edward, is everything okay?" I asked, moving closer to him again.

"Edward!" Jake called out from the other side of the yard, where he was setting up the first introductory sets of music. Edward looked up, seemingly startled to see that there were other people besides us out here and gave him a hasty wave.

"Bella-" he started.

But then Jess called our names and started walking our way with her date in tow. Edward looked down between us and sighed heavily. And then Carlisle called out for Edward. We both turned because he was behind us, standing by himself with his cell phone to his ear. His brows were set close together.

"Edward, can you please come here for a moment?"

Edward seemed to hesitate. He tightened his grip on my hand, looking towards the house as if he wanted to run with me over there, but then his grip loosened.

"I'll be right back, Bella, okay? And then we'll go inside and talk."

"Alright," I agreed with a smile, though those little creatures in my tummy were now on a rampage. "I'll be right here waiting."

He nodded, that troubled look still on his so handsome face. One by one, he let go of my fingers, walking away backwards for a few feet before turning around all together.

I sighed. Obviously, something was on Edward's mind, but as a couple of more guests wandered in I wondered if we'd have to wait until after the party to discuss it. That would be fine, though. We had all night. I'd be going home with him tonight anyway, and I'd give him that all night love-making session I'd promised, and we could talk about anything and everything. I mean, he'd just told me he loved me, so whatever it was couldn't possibly be _that_ bad. And while the way he'd blurted those three words hadn't exactly been dreamy, it was still good to hear. I was sure he'd repeat them again later anyhow, when we were alone and whatever was bothering him was off his chest. They'd feel more _real_ then.

I honestly only half-listened while Jess and her date spoke to me. I was too busy staring after Edward and his dad, biting my lip because even though Edward had his back to me, I could tell that it was a bit of a heated discussion, based on the way Edward continuously ran his hand through his hair. Carlisle even raked his hand down his face at one point, and his eyes flashed quickly to me before moving away. My stomach lay in knots.

But then Brady's angry cries filled the staticy monitor. Someone was wide awake and very hungry apparently, after a long late morning nap. My eyes searched for Rose around the huge yard. She and Emmett appeared to be involved in their own heated discussion over a tray of appetizers.

"Jess, can you excuse me for a second?" I smiled. "Rose and Em look busy so I'm just going to go check on the baby."

"Sure," Jess bounced excitedly. "We'll catch up with you and Edward later."

I nodded and walked away, holding the back of my dress up because the ground was still a bit damp. I didn't want to get Tanya's beautiful creation too messy.

By the time I reached the living room where Brady's play pen had been set up, he was standing on his chubby little limbs and shrieking at the top of his lungs. Huge tears filled his fat, little face.

"Oh my goodness," I laughed at him. "Aren't you a sight?"

He stopped his shrieks as soon as he saw me, though still whimpered tentatively, as if waiting to see what my next move would be before he decided on his; a spaghetti western stand-off of sorts.

"Yes, yes, I'm going to pick you up." I rolled my eyes, approaching him. "Spare us the dramatics."

Little Dude bounced happily in his play pen, panting like an excited little puppy. When I picked him up he curled his arms and legs around me, resting his head on my shoulder. I felt a whole lotta wetness - tears and drool and God knows what else - dripping down my back all slimy like. "Ew!" I chuckled heartily.

He raised his head then, big blue eyes meeting mine, and blubbered something unintelligible – to my ears at least. Maybe Rose would know what the heck the kid was trying to say.

"What is it? Are you hungry?" I asked.

More unintelligible gibberish.

"Do you want your bottle?"

"Baba."

I frowned. Well the only way to solve this mystery would be to show it to him and see how he reacted. So I walked with him to the kitchen, where I knew Rose had placed some boob milk in the fridge. On the way over, Little Dude reached out and actually copped a feel!

"Hey, hey there" I chuckled. "Them pretty tatas are already spoken for! At least I think they are," I mused thoughtfully, but then I shook my head and looked back down into his wide, blue eyes. "Besides, you, Little Dude, are _way_ too young for me, and I like my men a bit more chiseled and a teeny tiny bit less flabby. No offense," I added.

He simply stared at me.

Anyway, I had a feeling that more than trying to be fresh, he'd just been trying to stress the urgency of his hunger. I was especially convinced of this when I stuck the warmed bottle in his mouth and he sucked on it like he was sure that the world would end tomorrow and he had been solely chosen to drink up every last ounce of boob milk in this here world lest it go bad overnight.

So I sat on one of the tall stools surrounding the marble kitchen island and watched little dude inhale his milk, while his hands grabbed onto that bottle for dear life.

"Hey, relax Brady, no other nine-month-old is going to walk in here and try to snatch that away from you." I laughed. "See, this is why you're so out of shape. Sleeping and eating and just barely crawling around all day aren't going to get you that six pack your dad and your uncles have going on - _especially_ your Uncle Edward."

He stared at me blankly, his total world revolving around the plastic nipple in his mouth.

I chuckled, running one hand over the fine, dark blond hair on top of his head. It was really soft.

Just then, some loud voices made me look up. I was surprised to hear any voices at all because Jake's music mix had been pretty much drowning out everything else. But I walked to the window facing the back yard, Little Dude supported in my arms while he happily drank his milk.

The first thing that caught my attention was the fact that a few more people had arrived while I'd come in here with Brady: a couple more of Edward's friends, and a few more friends of Esme and Carlisle's. Then I noticed that all eyes were trained on Edward, who was standing all the way by the entrance to the back yard with his dad and Esme, and Emmett and Rose, and Bree and Mike.

After that, my first thought was "what the hell are Bree and Mike doing here?" See, unlike Edward's birthday party, Esme hadn't bothered inviting them to this event – a fact for which I'd been quietly grateful. Yet here they both were, and while for one split second my blood boiled; in the next second I realized that neither Bree nor Mike were dressed for a party. In fact, from here I could tell that Mike's clothes were a crumpled mess; all wrinkled, his shirt half sticking out of his pants, hair wild and unkempt, while Bree sported a simple pair of jeans and a white tee-shirt.

And then I noticed all their expressions teetering on the edge of something bad, really bad, and then I knew somehow that all this had something to do with why Edward was so upset today.

Even Brady let go of his bottle for one second when we heard Mike yell at Edward, though from here I couldn't make out what he was saying. But I could see Edward's mouth move stonily, and the way his hands clenched at his sides and his jaw clenched just as tight. Even from here, I could see his eyes blazing, but this time there was nothing kegelicious about it. Carlisle and then Emmett and Jasper came to stand behind him, and all the while Bree stood between them, her palms up to either man, playing the proverbial refereeing damsel.

So as I stood there, safe and sound in Esme's grand kitchen, I knew I was really standing at the edge of a cliff, of a precipice, because staying in here or going out there would make all the difference. But for now, I couldn't make that decision. So I simply watched.

But then Rosalie broke into a sprint, heading towards the house while her beautiful black dress billowed in the breeze. She entered in a huff, panting, and when she caught sight of me by the window she froze.

"I was just feeding Brady," I said emptily.

She nodded. "Bella, just stay in here with me for a little while, okay?"

I stared at her, wanting so badly to agree, to stay there with her and her son until whatever was going on outside passed.

Alice ran in then, and stood next to Rosalie with an equally alarmed expression.

"Bella," she cried quietly.

My chest heaved. Slowly I walked over and handed Brady to his mom.

"Bella, please, just stay in here for a few minutes," she pleaded.

I shook my head and smiled up at her before walking out.

Outside, the sky was bluer than I'd seen it all summer in this little town. Birds chirped high in the trees, while the light wind whistled in the air, swirling a few random leaves, knocked off their branches by the previous evening's rain. All this I could hear clearly because everything else was silent. Jake had left his post by the Deejay table and moved over to Edward's side, while the few guests that had arrived stared wide-eyed at Edward and Mike. No one seemed to notice me approaching.

"…think I don't know what was going on here the entire time!" Mike yelled.

"Mike, I'm going to tell you one more time," Edward growled, his voice a low threat, "You're wasted and you need to leave right now."

"This was all just a game to the both of you," Mike continued, completely ignoring the menace in Edward's tone and glare. "You never really meant to let her go, did you?"

"Mike. Get. The hell. Out of here," Edward hissed through gritted teeth, enunciating every word . "Maybe when you sober up we can talk, but right now. . ."

He trailed off when he caught sight of me. I don't even think I was breathing anymore as I stood quietly off to the side, just a couple of feet away. For what felt like forever, we stared silently at each other.

Then Mike and Bree turned their heads. Mike stumbled and then righted himself as he turned his whole body around.

"Isabella, finally! Just who I came to see." His words slurred together, more like one long word than a few strung together. My heart raced furiously in my chest.

"Mike!" Edward growled.

"Mike, you look and sound like shit," I said, keeping my voice as strong and even as I could manage. "Edward's right. You need to go."

His lips actually trembled, and for a moment I actually felt bad for him. He looked so lost.

"I look like shit," he repeated, nodding and breathing hard. "Do you want to know why I look like shit?"

I was suddenly extremely aware of every pair of eyes on me, including Edward's. They felt like weights on my shoulders. I shook my head. "No, I don't."

His face fell, as if he'd been expecting a different answer. He dropped his head, and his shoulders sagged, and at the same time that Edward walked over to me, Bree moved closer to Mike, taking his hand. But as soon as she touched him, he flinched away, straightening his shoulders and looking up at me again.

Edward reached me at that moment, his eyes wild and desperate as he reached out and took my hand.

"I look like shit because my girlfriend" – Mike banged a fist against his chest - "decided she doesn't want me anymore. Do you know why she doesn't want me?"

"Mike, stop!" Bree pleaded.

"Bella, let's go inside," Edward ordered, his face chiseled out of stone, trying to pull me away.

But I stood my ground and shook my head at Mike's question, though of course I knew the answer, just like I knew how much it would hurt to hear it.

"Because she's realized she's still in love with _your_ boyfriend. _Your_ fiancé," he laughed drunkenly.

Quiet gasps sounded all around me. Edward moved quickly then – dropping my hand and storming over to Mike, his face a mere couple of inches away from his. "Listen to me you drunk asshole," he hissed, "you don't know what the fuck you're talking about and you're upsetting my fiancé, so I'm going to tell you for the last time-"

"What is it, Edward?" Mike screamed angrily, head to head with Edward, ignoring both his words and his fury. "Don't you want her to know where you were last night? Who you were with?"

More gasps. Somehow Edward was in front of me again. "Bella, it's not true," he swore urgently. "I was home last night."

"I know. I know, Edward." I nodded vehemently.

Because I did know. Edward wouldn't. He wouldn't.

He took my hand, gripping it so hard it hurt. "Let's go inside." His eyes were dark and pleading. "Please, let's just go inside so I can explain everything."

I nodded quickly and this time let Edward pull me towards the house.

"What are you going to explain?" Mike yelled out. I turned around hastily for one last look at him. Jasper and Emmett were holding him now, while Bree stood in front of him, trying to back him out of the yard. But he kept right on talking, even as Bree pushed and Emmett and Jasper pulled.

"Are you going to explain how you ended up locked in your car with Bree? Why she was practically dry humping you while the both of you went at it so fucking hot and heavy that the goddamned windows were all fucking fogged up?" he bellowed.

When Jamie and I were little, I used to sit with him and our dad sometimes while they watched football - honestly not because I enjoyed the game, but just because I wanted to be near Jamie - and all the while I'd wonder – while the guys on TV rammed into each other and knocked one another to the ground – what it felt like to have one of those huge guys slam into your chest at full speed.

I kinda knew now. I stopped and gasped in a lungful of air. Edward gripped my shoulders desperately.

"Bella, no," he growled. "It wasn't like that. Just let me explain."

And all I could do was nod as if my life depended on it. Because it sort of did.

"Yeah, Isabella, let him explain," Mike yelled on, his voice a mixture of rage and pain. "Let him explain why the both of them took the both of us for fools-"

I'm not sure how it happened, but Edward was no longer by my side. I heard a few more loud gasps and then looked up and saw Emmett and Jasper holding Edward back.

"You've got the fucking nerve to accuse _me_ of taking _you_ for a fool?" Edward bellowed. "You think I don't know what went on behind _my_ fucking back last year, _buddy_?" he spat. "You deserve this shit! Feel humiliated enough yet?" he sneered viciously. "Tell me how much it stings to know she was stepping out on _you_!"

And with that I turned around and quickly walked into the house, past Rose, and Alice's tear streaked face, up the stairs and into the bedroom, which had once been Edward's, but which had been my own for the better part of this summer, and I closed and locked the door behind me. I walked to the middle of the room and closed my eyes.

"Just breathe deeply, Bella," I instructed myself. "Deep, slow breaths." And following my own instructions, I staved off the hand trying to squeeze my lungs shut and the pounding in my head. And while Esme and Rose knocked anxiously on my door, I calmly took my dress off and hung it up carefully on a hanger in the closet, because Tanya and her poor gran had put in a lot of work to make it.

"Bella, honey, open the door," Esme asked quietly.

I threw on one of my old tank tops and the cut-off shorts I'd arrived in almost three months ago, and I tied my hair back before counting out eight twenties and four or five singles, and removed Edward's credit card, the car keys, and the phone from my backpack. And with shaking hands I reached up and unclasped my pretty feathers-and-beads necklace and placed it neatly over the dresser. With my backpack over my shoulder, I opened the door.

The three of them drew in deep breaths when they saw me, but then all three pairs of eyes moved across my change of outfit, and the bag on my shoulder. Alice started crying.

Rose shook her head. "Don't do this, Bella. Don't give up this way."

I gave her a quick hug. "You can't give up what was never yours." I smiled and kissed the top of Brady's head, still so soft. "Take care little dude. I was just kidding every time I made fun of your big belly."

I turned quickly to Alice.

"Bella," she bawled.

I hugged her quickly too. "Oh, Alice, don't do that babe. I've heard you get all sorts of wrinkles around your eyes every time you do that. Take care girlie."

I turned to Esme, and despite how hard I swallowed, one friggin' tear _still_ managed to slide down my cheek. Damn heart-broken-looking Hoverer. I wiped away at my face angrily.

"Thank you, Esme, for all your hospitality."

"Bella, don't leave," Esme asked quietly. "This is your family too."

I snorted despite myself. "This isn't my family. This was _never_ my family. I'll be just fine, Esme, I always am. Please don't spend your days and nights worrying about me," I rolled my eyes.

And then Esme pulled me into a tight embrace, and I had to pull away before I really lost it on her.

**EPoV**

In my entire life, I'd never been so full of indignant fury. So yeah, maybe I'd said some shit to Mike to rub it in, exaggerated a bit to make sure he felt all the hurt and mortification I'd once felt at seeing them together. Maybe I'd been a bit of an asshole, letting him stand there with nothing, when _I_ had everything now; when I had the _only_ thing that mattered – Bella. But I'd warned him; I'd told him to leave. He hadn't fucking listened.

Emmett and Jasper kept holding me back, even as Carlisle walked Mike out of the back yard. My chest heaved and my nostrils flared wildly while I clenched and unclenched my hands at my sides.

"Enough, Edward," Emmett ordered in a commanding tone. "He's gone." But the rage in my bones refused to abate, my body vibrated with it. I shook off my brothers' powerful grips.

"You fucking idiot," I heard behind me, and whipped around. Jake glared at me, hands in his pockets, eyes full of disgust. "How could you do that to her?"

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over me, extinguishing every iota of fury while at the same time filling me with icy dread.

"Where's Bella?"

Jake simply sneered.

"Where the hell is Bella?" I yelled, looking around the back yard with growing alarm. Some instinct sent me running out of the back yard, to the front of the house, where Bella was walking down the driveway, in her tank top and cut-off shorts.

And with her backpack swung over her shoulder.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," I breathed loudly as I ran to her. "Where are you going?"

She turned around and flashed me a grin, not even pausing in her quick steps. I fell in step with her, my heart racing with terror now.

"Boy, things sure worked out just like we planned them a few months ago, didn't they, Edward? You get your happily ever after, and I get my all expenses paid trip to Tuscany - a win-win situation all around. Well, except for poor Mike, who ended up humiliated in front of all your mutual friends, but I suppose he sort of deserved that. Not that I'm sure _I_ did, but oh well, all's fair and collateral damage and all that. I think Jamie tried to teach me about that once, but I guess I wasn't paying enough attention."

"Bella," I said, my voice trembling, "please stop and let me explain."

She kept her eyes trained on the ground, that infernal grin still in place. "You don't have to explain anything, Edward. You told me from the get that she was your fate. It's no one's fault but my own if I didn't realize we were still playing the game. It was all a good learning experience, though, so thanks for that."

"Bella, no!" I yelled, grabbing her shoulders and swinging her around, forcing her to face me.

She stopped. She stopped and looked up at me through eyes so clouded by pain they made me cringe. Nevertheless I still think I could've gotten her to listen to me.

"Bella, you don't have to leave," someone behind us suddenly called out. Both of us looked over, shocked by the source. "You can finish up your credits locally," Bree continued, standing just a few short feet away. I hadn't even known she was still around. "Someone in our mental health department can be assigned as your therapist. You don't have to keep running. You don't have to keep pretending your brother Jamie is still alive."

I shut my eyes and felt every muscle in my body stiffen again, yet even with eyes closed, I could feel Bella's accusing glare.

"You told her?" Disbelief and agony were thick in every word, in every inflection.

I opened my eyes and met Bella's, and I'd never seen more hurt, more betrayal reflected in them. "No, Bella. Please, just let me explain everything."

But Bella took three quick steps and suddenly she was in front of Bree, and the backhand she gave her reverberated throughout the entire front yard.

Bree gasped, swiftly bringing her hand up to her cheek and palming it while glaring at Bella through huge, shocked eyes.

"I can't even say I'm sorry," Bella said, her voice shaking, "because you totally deserved that. You deserved it for over a decade of making him work his _ass_ off trying to please you, trying to make you happy and _never_ appreciating what you had in him! You deserve that because regardless of everything else he was _my_ boyfriend now," – she put her thumb against her chest – "my _fiancée_ and _you_ should've respected that! But most of all, you deserve that because despite everything, you're still the one he wants," she cried. "You're _still_ the one he wants."

And then she started walking away again.

"Jesus, Bella, no," I begged, feeling as if my head were about to explode. "Don't do this. Let me explain everything." I reached out for her again but she shook me off angrily.

"Leave me alone, Edward! You filthy-lying-beautiful-yet-heartless ASSHOLE!" she yelled, breaking into a sprint. "Just leave me alone!"

"Bella, stop!" I yelled. But she ran from me and in the next second she was in the middle of the street and I was running to her, but neither of us saw the car, and by the time the horn blared angrily it was too late.

"No!" I roared, and Bella looked up just as the car clipped her leg.

She was on the floor when I reached her, sitting up and holding her leg.

"Bella! Baby, stay still," I instructed, kneeling next to her and carefully reaching for her leg. It was bleeding badly, and before I could remember what that meant, Bella started cursing.

"Fuck! Oh no. Oh fuck, no, no. Please God, no." She looked up and her eyes met mine for a split second. Then she dropped her head and vomited all over me before passing out.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**We're almost done here…**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to facebook 'Stories by PattyRose group' is on my profile.**


	24. Chapter 24 Ache & Break

**A/N: There's so much to say. Please see A/N at the end.**

**Thanks to my great beta Michelle Renker Rhodes for helping me get these chappies out quick-fast.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter 24 - Ache & Break**

* * *

**BPoV**

_Here's what I dreamed last night:_

_I dreamed of the house where I spent the first six years of my life. It was a small house, if I recall correctly: three small bedrooms and one bathroom that we all shared in the upstairs hallway. But I think my mom kept it clean and comfortable; at least in my memories, she smiles while dancing around with a broom, or while uncovering a pot of something honestly strange-smelling; she tended to burn our food - a lot I think. The scent of something overcooked – black roasts, brown grilled cheeses and the sort - almost always drifted out to the back while Jamie and I played. _

_I don't think I went to pre-school; Renee (Did I ever tell you my mom's name?) being a stay-at-home mom, chose to keep me with her until Kindergarten. So I'd spend my days playing and waiting for Jamie - who was a whole eight years older than me - to get home every afternoon. When I'd hear the yellow school bus pull down our street I'd jump from whatever I was doing and go meet him like a bouncy, happy little puppy. Once his homework was done, that was when my real day would begin because we'd run to the back and play on the swings, or he'd dress me up in one of his military costumes and make me the enemy soldier while he rescued the world from my invasion. Or we'd play cops and robbers. That was a favorite, I think because Jamie being so much older than I and a cop's son he knew the entire Miranda rights and enjoyed arresting me. Yeah, I was always the bad guy, but that was okay. _

_Anyway, I dreamed of home last night. Jamie and I were swinging away in our wooden swing set in the back, but something was strange because though he looked the way I remember him looking the last time I saw him – tall and thin and lanky, the way fourteen year-olds tend to be; his curly brown hair long and falling over his forehead; I didn't look or feel six years old. I looked the way I look now; I **felt** what I feel now._

_I was definitely dressed in a military costume though._

_And I was crying. _

"_All's fair in love and war, Bell." He said this not in a cold way, but matter-of-factly, as if it were something that couldn't be helped._

"_I loved him," I cried. "But he didn't love me - not enough."_

"_I'm gonna kick his ass," he growled frowning, but I shook my head._

"_You can't. You're only fourteen," I reminded him while wiping snot off my nose. "He's almost twice your age, and he's tall and lean, but he's got these muscles. . ."_

_Hey, I'm not saying the dream made total sense. I'm just telling it how it went._

"_Then **you** kick his ass," Jamie ordered, getting off his swing and coming to stand stiffly in front of me. "You're big now, and I've shown you how to deck someone bigger than you." His brown eyes blazed, hands fisted at his sides._

_I looked up and grinned weakly at him. "Jamie, decking him isn't going to work. It's not going to make the hurt here go away." I pointed at my heart, hidden under a bunch of military emblems. _

_He frowned again, looking so confused and…helpless._

"_Bellsie, I don't know what to tell you. I never fell in love. I never became an expert at any of that."_

_I stared crying harder, and then Jamie wrapped me in his arm the way he always did when I'd fall during one of our games or when he got too rough and forgot I wasn't a GI from the enemy camp, but just a small, silly girl._

"_You'll be okay, Bellsie," he promised. "I'm sorry you got hurt, but you'll be okay. You'll see."_

_But I wasn't that six year-old little girl anymore, and I didn't fit in his arms the way I used to._

_And then I dreamed of you._

_You were sitting in that chair in your old bedroom, in Esme's house, still wearing that nice suit you wore for the party, except it looked about as bad as Mike's clothes had looked; wrinkled everywhere, with these pretty gross looking stains all over the pants. And well…you didn't smell too good in this dream if I've gotta be honest. Your head was down and cradled in your hands, and you kept taking these deep breaths, every few minutes raking a hand through your hair. And you were mumbling._

"…_Sorry. So sorry. I'm so sorry," you kept saying, over and over, raking that hand, fisting your hair wildly._

_Was that last dream really a dream or reality? I don't know. _

_So just in case, I'll tell you that I could've forgiven you a momentary transgression with Bree, a second of doubt - of indecision, the humiliation in front of your friends and family. I could've forgiven you almost anything._

_But Jamie was all I had left, and you tried to take him away from me._

_OOOOOOOOOO_

I opened my eyes to a loud clap of thunder slamming against the window, making it shake and vibrate noisily, rocking the panel back and forth on its frame. Outside, huge raindrops pelted against the siding, like a handful of small pebbles slipping through fingers; lost in an ocean of gravel.

For the first few minutes, blissfully ignorant of how I ended up here, I simply stared at the midnight hue of the sky, at the way the rain splattered over the huge tree just outside Edward's old bedroom. Somewhere deep in the recesses of my memory, I knew it all meant something; the return of the rain, the howling of the wind just outside, the bright bolts of lightning shooting through the sky.

It was the end of summer – the return of reality in this tiny little town of Forks.

I sat up. My head spun, turning and turning like one of those tops little kids like to play with. I placed my hands on either side of my head to stop the twirling, closing my eyes but refusing to lie back down. The warmth of my hands over my temples seemed to do the trick though, and after half a minute, the nausea passed, and I was able to open my eyes again. Unfortunately, it threatened to return when I pulled the soft goose down away from my legs.

My clothing had been removed, and now I lay in bed in only underwear and a big white bandage that covered the entire circumference of my upper right thigh. And with that picture came the vague recollection of what exactly the bandage was covering, and how and why it had happened and the blood and the vomit and. . .

"_Ohh_," I moaned quietly, turning my head away from my injury to keep the queasiness at bay and wincing at the dull ache when I lowered my legs to the floor. My eyes trailed to the alarm clock on the nightstand: three fourteen a.m. Forks' poor excuse for daybreak would begin in about three hours. Three hours until the rest of the house would begin stirring; until Carlisle got up for work, and Esme began preparing her delicious and unburned morning breakfasts, until the smell of pastries and bacon and eggs wafted gently in the air, mixing with the scent of fresh grass and a clean and well-loved home. I would never ever be able to smell blueberries and cleanliness again without thinking of Esme.

With a deep sigh and another grimace, I forced myself to stand and then ordered my right leg to bare its fair share of weight here because hey, there were no free rides in this world were there? Thankfully, the pain wasn't as bad as I'd feared it would be. It was a dull ache, radiating in equal measures around the entire leg rather than sharply focusing in any one spot. And that was pretty much how the rest of me felt; dull, achy; unfocused.

The stitches – because I was pretty sure there'd been stitches – felt tight and secure. For one moment I let my mind wander to the efficient doctor who'd probably administered them – before shaking him out of my head. Now wasn't the time to stop and think. Stopping and thinking is what had gotten me into this whole mess in the first place. _Now_ was time to act.

So with the dull ache permeating my senses like a makeshift safety blanket, I found my bag in the closet and got dressed for the fourth time in the past twenty-four hours: Jamie's hoodie with my jeans and Converse – and for the very last time, I picked up the cell phone Edward had gotten me.

His voice was groggy and rough when he answered.

"I need a ride."

"I'll be right there."

Fifteen minutes later, I limped quietly through the rain-soaked back yard, passing the pool where I'd spent so many of my hours this summer; where Alice and I had belly-flopped until our tummies ached and the water had left red stinging welts across our midsection, where Esme and I had sat through hours of awkward breakfasts, where she'd talked and touched my hand and made my chest ache with her smiles. I walked past the lounger where I'd bounced Little Dude on my leg 'til he'd laughed so hard he'd barfed all over me, past the table where I'd sat and listened while Rose and Emmett planned out the Grille's fall menu, past the tree where Jasper had shown me where he and his brothers had chiseled their names into the bark, and past the cabana where _he_ and I had kissed and touched…past the white tent that had been erected yesterday morning and hadn't been taken down yet. . .

I made my way past the tree line, my Converse sticking in the rain-soaked mud, and walked until I emerged at the darkened road, empty except for his waiting car.

"Thanks," I said quietly, glancing at him briefly when I got in before staring down at my lap, "For coming."

He nodded before drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "So, where to?"

And while we drove through the charcoal clouded night, down winding roads and starless routes, while the windshield wipers swooshed back and forth and wiped away the somber mountain mist, I took out my long-forgotten journal and wrote.

**EPoV**

She only woke once briefly, after we'd gotten her blood and vomit-soaked clothes off and put her in my old bed. With fresh, moistened towels we cleaned off the wound and examined her leg and determined that thankfully, it was neither broken nor fractured. Tyler and Ben's car had merely grazed her; they'd been driving slow enough, but hadn't expected someone to just run out into the street. The wound would require a few stitches, though, so while Carlisle administered a local anesthetic, I got the medical bag ready, but of course she woke up just as I applied the first stitch.

"Ohh," she groaned, her head writhing from side to side, and when she lifted her head and saw the needle and thread going through her thigh, her tired eyes grew wide. Her face a mask of terror, she brought her eyes to me.

"It's okay, love," I said soothingly, "You're going to be just-"

- She dry heaved, and for one split second, I thought she was going to vomit all over us again – but she simply passed out once more.

"-fine," I finished haggardly.

After that, she slept and slept. With weary and stony faces, Carlisle and my brothers went to clean up the back yard; pack away chairs, take down decorations, put away food. Esme, Rose and Alice informed all the guests that had arrived and those still yet to arrive that the party had to be canceled, and I sat in the chair across from the bed, staring at what my stupidity had done to the person I loved most in this world.

She moaned a little in her sleep, a few quiet whimpers that felt like daggers to my chest as I sat and gazed at her, afraid to touch her, afraid that she'd wake and stare at me with all that hurt, all that humiliation and betrayal reflected in her dark expressive eyes once again. And so friggin' afraid that when she finally did wake up, there would be no forgiveness, no chance to apologize; no opportunity to finally tell her how much I loved her the way I should've from day one. I wouldn't be able to let her know without a shadow of a doubt that in our days apart, there had _never_ been any question; any doubt. It was her, and it would _always_ be her.

But I'd fucked it all up. I'd let opportunity after opportunity pass me by, and then I'd let my wounded ego get in the way of what really mattered – and what mattered wasn't the man I could never be for Bree, but the man I should've been for Bella.

So I sat in the chair across from the bed and cradled my head in my hands, telling her the words I should've told her while she was awake.

"I love you so much, Bella - only you. It will always be you and I'm sorry, so sorry. I'm so sorry, love, for everything. For the way I treated you when we met, for not admitting to myself what I felt for you from day one, for making you go through that bullshit proposal, for hurting you in so many ways. I love you, and I'm so sorry."

And on and on, while the sun faded away and the clouds returned and Bella slept and slept. I barely heard the quiet knock on the door, only God knows how many hours later. When I opened it, my nostrils flared while I rolled my eyes to the sky and kept them trained on the white ceiling.

"Are you seriously still here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"Listen to me," I sneered at her in disgust, half closing the door behind me because with my fucking luck Bella would choose this moment to open her eyes. "You and I have nothing else to talk about! That shit you pulled before…" I had to pause to check myself, "You can't be charged with malpractice because Bella isn't actually your patient, but it was wrong - ethically, morally and _humanly wrong_," I hissed.

"I didn't mean for her to get hurt, Edward, I swear!" Bree cried, tears running down her cheeks.

"What the fuck did you mean to happen, then?"

"I…I don't know," she shrugged, her voice breaking, "I really don't know."

"You know what, Bree? I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't make it clear enough for you this summer that she _is_ everything. That's entirely my fault. And I'm sorry because as fucked up as you went about things, I understand now what you were doing with Mike. You and I weren't working; something was missing, and I guess you went looking for it with Mike, and I'm sorry if you didn't find it, but you know what?" I lowered my eyes to her level, while she sobbed on quietly. "I _did_ find it with Bella. I found everything that was missing and _more_. She is the sweetest, most beautiful, most caring, most _sanest_ person I've ever known, and I need to make that as clear to you as possible because I will _never_ allow her to get hurt like this again."

Bree nodded slowly, her lips trembling while she stared down at the floor.

"I understand. I just wanted to apologize, and to tell you that I spoke to your dad and Mike, and I'm going to be leaving town for a little while."

She looked up at me. I stared back at her blankly.

"I think that it's for the best for everyone involved. And I…I need some time to think," she took a deep breath, "to figure out what I want."

I simply nodded.

"So," she paused, "Please let Isabella know how sorry I am, and…take care of yourself, Edward."

"Goodbye, Bree," I said for the last time, before turning around and going back into Bella's room, closing the door soundly behind me.

OOOOOOOOOO

I kept watch over Bella for the next few hours while she tossed and turned some more. And though my chest ached every time she moaned and turned and whimpered, it also assured me that she was okay; just sleeping. But by about three or so in the morning I started wondering if the reason she wouldn't wake up was because of the smell in the room. See, I smelled like hell. I hadn't changed yet, and while I'd removed the blood and vomit-soaked shirt and jacket, the smell was still on my pants; it swirled around in the air around me, and when you can smell yourself, well then that's when you know it's bad.

I knocked on my mother's bedroom door and let her know that I'd be taking a quick drive home to pick up some clean clothes and bathe, and would be back in less than an hour. She said she'd keep an ear open for Bella, in case she happened to wake up and need something.

I was only gone for less than an hour.

OOOOOOOOOO

**Thoughts?**

**Like I said last chapter, we're almost done. Two or three chapters left.**

****Sigh** Some people want tissue alerts. Some don't. Some want HEA assurances. Some don't. Some like the angst. Some don't.**

**Someone gave me the CONSTRUCTIVE suggestion that I should save my rants for the end of the chapter, so as not to ruin what's about to happen for my readers. It's good advice, so I've decided to take it. Therefore, in an effort to keep MOST people happy, I am keeping my mouth shut. The story is almost done, and you'll all have all your answers. If you desperately feel you need something more right now, tweet me, PM me or find me at the Facebook page. I'll try to give you what you need, but please, also remember that unless you log in, I can't get back to you!**

**And guys...**deep breath** I'm sorry if it seems like I'm unnecessarily prolonging the drama, but this is the way this story has already played itself out in my head, and I can't change it. I guess I'm an 'overly dramatic' kind of girl. Yes, I've always loved drama, so of course MY likes will be reflected in the way I tell the story. I LIKE that clenchy feeling you get in your heart when your favorite characters are being put through the ringer. To me, it makes the good times that much sweeter. I've said this in my profile so that people know what they're getting into when they read one of my stories. I never labeled this story as a comedy. It does say Romance/Drama, and if I could've picked three categories, I would've added angst, but I did clearly say in the first chapter that there would be angst. If you can hang in there, that's great and I promise to try to make it worth your while. If you can't, no worries and no hard feelings. **

**And one more thing, to all of those who have noticed, yes. You're right. You will find similarities between this story and the movie HouseSitter with Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' Facebook page is on my profile. **


	25. Outtake: B's Letter, or What I Learned

**A/N: This is an OUTTAKE.**

**Many of you asked for this, so here you go. It is Bella's letter to Edward, in its entirety; the snippets from the beginning of each chapter all put together, with a few lines added here and there to put the entire thing in perspective. **

**The next real chapter should be ready by Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest. **

**If you had questions regarding the previous chapter, please see the A/N at the end of this.**

**As always, thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for being such a great beta.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Outtake: Bella's letter, or What I Learned this Summer**

* * *

_I don't know if you'll read this right away, or if you'll read it at all, but the summer when you proposed that stupidly ridiculous scheme to get her back and I stupidly went along with it was the summer of the Olympic Region's worst heat wave on record._

_I'm not even sure how it started. It wasn't with the money though, I know that much. It was way before that. Maybe it was the desperation marring your incredibly handsome face that started it all. Even then, I would've done anything to get rid of your pain._

_No. It's not fair to blame it on your desperation. The truth is it started because **I** wanted it to start, more than I'd ever wanted anything in my life. **You** simply said two words…**I'm** the one who jumped at them._

_I didn't have to agree to it. I mean, it's not like you twisted my arm or anything, that's for sure. And no, I won't try to deny that I wanted the money. But I also wanted to help you, even if I'd personally never believed in a soul mate: in the one you were meant to be with and all that blah, blah, blah. Still,__**you**__believed her to be your happily-ever-after, so__**I'd**__do what I could to help you get her back. At least, that's what I told myself I was doing at the time._

_I think the reason I felt so nervous with you that first night was because I knew you were going to propose that I stay, though I must admit that the proposal itself did surprise me. But I'll let you in on a little secret now. I was always going to say yes, even to the parts I pretended shocked me. So don't ever feel bad or guilty for what you proposed, for getting me to stay, because I think that, one way or another, I would've found a reason to stay before that night ended._

_To be honest, had I known exactly what I was getting myself into, I may have actually said 'no.' See, I pictured you and me playing this game, weaving our little tale and convincing the town-folk of Forks that we were madly in love while Doctor Tanner watched and seethed…and eventually came around. I didn't count on everything else that came into play - on feelings getting in the way, on families getting involved, on friendships being formed._

_I didn't count on Jake, or Alice, or Rose, or Emmett, or Carlisle, or Jasper, or the little dude. I didn't count on Esme._

_Still, I guess it's times like these that remind you of the life lessons you've been taught along the way, and this summer was sure chock full of them. _

_Like the first: _

"_Words can't hurt you, Bella," Jamie told me once when we were little. A couple of neighborhood boys had been chasing and teasing me, and I'd thrown myself on the floor, crying. Jamie found me, picked me up and taught me the lesson about sticks and stones._

_And then to illustrate the point he beat the shit out of the boys with his hockey stick._

_But as the years have passed, I've come to the conclusion that, while I'm sure my big brother meant well, he was wrong. Not so much for beating the ever-living shit out of those boys - they totally deserved that, trust me. But because words can lead to actions, and what is it that they say about actions?_

_Actions speak louder than words._

_I never meant for our actions to hurt anyone. Especially not you…or me… But what were we thinking?_

_Seriously, what the hell were we thinking?_

_Do you know when I realized that everything might not be as simple as we'd thought? It was that first time by the cliffs. It was so dark up there, but the cloudless Olympic sky sparkled with stars…like a million glittering jewels on that warm summer night. Yet not even that rare sight was enough to erase the sadness on your beautiful face; to rid your eyes of that pain whenever you saw her. That's when I realized that all this had become more than just a game to me because that was the first night I actually **felt **your pain so acutely it physically hurt. And when you held me…_

_Well let's just say that Tuscany became secondary out on those cliffs that night._

_Still, for everything I realized that night, there was so much more that I failed to see, even though the signs were there - even though what was happening should've been as plain and clear as those stars in the sky. But then again, I never did claim to be an expert._

_I hid it well though, didn't I? Not necessarily from everyone else because apparently **I** was an open book, but from you…and even more so, from myself. But how could I have known? I'd never been there. And at first, as the teasing on both sides increased, it was just so easy to call it physical. I never denied my attraction to you, and you…well it was just so good to see you finally laughing that I never stopped to think of how strange that was…that you should be learning to laugh again while she was still so out of reach. And I sure as hell never stopped to wonder how that would complicate things once you won her back – once you didn't need **me** anymore._

_It's funny, but it wasn't until that night of the pool party that I actually realized how much deeper than physical my feelings for you had gotten. That night…when **she** pushed and **I** pushed back… it awoke something in me - a dormant passion that up until that point I hadn't even known existed._

_Turned out, I didn't even need Tuscany. I'd found passion right in the little town of Forks._

_That was when I realized how far I was willing to take this game – not just for you, but for me too. Because even though I didn't quite yet recognize it for what it was, I let myself open up to hope that night. All breathless and confused in that dark, steamy room, for one small moment, I allowed myself hope; the grand dream that maybe, just maybe, before the summer was over you'd see that there were other options for you that didn't include **her** as your happily ever after._

_But little did I know in that room with you that night, that by waking up my long-dormant passion – the hope in **me** - I'd also awoken the beast in **her**._

_Another lesson learned:_

"_It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game."_

_Those were more words of wisdom from Jamie. How he came up with that one I have no idea, but unfortunately, he was wrong once again. Because though I suppose that yeah, okay, I sort of provoked her - in typical me form, I stepped things up a notch and then ran with it – no matter how **I** played the game, the end result was really what mattered._

_So I'll leave it up to you to determine who – at the end of the game – was more wrong than the other. But I won't apologize. Not for any of it. Because you can't deny that in the end, she gave as good as she got. Funny I almost admire her._

_But to get back to you and I, I want you to know that at first, I tried so hard to keep those walls up, even as I knew what a hopeless and futile effort it would be – even as I admitted to myself that you'd gotten under my skin from day one. It wasn't because I didn't want you, but because as much as I may have wanted it, as much as I may have started entertaining my own little fantasies about us, I knew I could **never** be that perfect happily ever after you'd apparently spent your life dreaming of – the one you'd confessed to me that night by the cliffs. I'd lived such a different life from you, and while I couldn't blame you for believing in fairy tale endings, **I** knew only too well how impossible those really were._

_But if somehow **she** could give you that perfect ending, that setting sun in the background with the successful careers and the happy marriage and the safe children, then I'd happily walk away - because **that's** what you deserved._

_No, that's not exactly true._

_I said I wouldn't apologize for anything, but maybe I do have something to be sorry for. Because for all the honorable intentions mentioned above, they all but faded to the background every single time we were alone and you held me in your arms. I tried, I swear I did, but my determination, my resolve to let you have your perfect ending…well it would simply melt away the instant your heart beat next to mine. In your arms, I finally felt right; I finally felt like maybe, just maybe, I was…home._

_So I am sorry if I made it that much more difficult for you._

_We had good times though. Like t__he night of the benefit. That was a beautiful night, wasn't it? Clear and warm, though not as sticky as those summer nights had gotten. I felt so hopeful that night with you by my side, holding me close to you so possessively. I allowed myself to believe that you felt what I felt and that somehow things would turn out right; that together, we'd find a way out of the mess we'd made of things._

_Little did I know that the mess was just beginning._

_The next lesson: _

_Once when I was four, I stole an entire batch of chocolate chip cookies my mom had just baked and fed it to the neighbor's dog – which I wasn't supposed to be playing with because he could be a mean fucker sometimes. He bit my finger, and I stuffed it in my mouth so I wouldn't have to look at the blood. When my mom asked where the cookies went, I blamed Jamie. When she asked why I kept sucking on my finger, I told her I'd poked it on a thorn. When the dog got the runs, I looked the other way and whistled a happy tune. When my finger got infected, it took me a full week to confess to my mom, and then she rushed me to the doctor, and I cried and squirmed and passed out when they stuck that huge needle in my thigh, and it bled because I'd moved around too much._

_Jamie was laughing when I came to, but then he hugged me before flicking my forehead. And what was it that he said then? "Bella, Bella, Bella, what a wondrous web we weave…"_

_Little did you and I realize what a web we kept weaving; digging ourselves into a hole that no matter what, we'd eventually have to shovel out of._

_**Why** did you dig us a deeper hole that night? Was it because you had to save face, or because you saw an opportunity and jumped on it, the way I had in that examination room a few weeks back?_

_Or was it for **her - **to force her hand?_

_I guess the "why" doesn't matter so much at this point. What matters is the resulting aftermath. We got ourselves in so deep without having the slightest idea of what would be left in the end._

_In my life, walking around without my guard up has always been a bad idea. You know enough about me now to understand why that's been the case. Still, despite all my reservations, despite all my doubts I let my guard down for you. I was willing to try, even though my entire life had taught me that good things don't last. But for you, I was willing to take that chance because when you said you needed me I took it literally. Conveniently, I simply forgot that need does not necessarily perpetuate love, and that love can take on many different forms: love for a brother, or love for a lover, or love for just a friend…_

_Maybe, just maybe, you should've been clearer._

_But then again, I'd never felt what I felt for you, and so I confused the signs. I thought what I saw in your eyes was the same as love, but not being an expert at any of this…I suppose I read them wrong. Need, want, and then after you found everything out, pity; I guess that's what I saw._

_But don't feel sorry for me anymore. You know me better than anyone – even Jamie – ever has. You know I'll be okay._

_Maybe we moved too fast. In hindsight, while the summer seemed to have stretched out for years, we'd only truly revealed our feelings over those last few weeks. Perhaps we tried to rush something that needed more time to grow, to develop, to blossom into something that may have had a chance at surviving._

_Or maybe, in your own words of fate and destiny and predetermined courses, it was just never meant to be._

_And this leads to another lesson:_

_When I was six, I found a tiny little bird in our back yard. One of his wings appeared to be injured; hanging uselessly at his side while he chirped away sadly. Jamie helped me bring him in the house, and we gathered a few old shirts and pieces of cheerios and bacon and gave that little bird our own version of shelter and food. We sang to him, and we told him jokes, and every night we'd bring him up some of our dinner until his sad chirps grew happier, and he started moving that useless wing more and more. I got him a cage and put him in there before he could fly away from me because by that time Jamie had lost interest._

_See, there was this red-headed girl called Victoria, I think, that had just moved in a couple of houses down._

_Anyway, the little bird was all mine now, but he grew quiet again and seemed restless in his cage, and one night I asked Jamie if he knew what could be bothering him._

"_You need to let him go, Bella," Jamie told me, "so that he could know whether he wants to be out there on his own or in here with you."_

_I didn't want to let my little bird go, but Jamie told me that if you love something, really love it, you have to set it free. If it comes back to you, it was yours. If it doesn't, it never was yours._

_So I let my bird go, but it was just a couple of days later that I went to stay with my gran, so I really don't know if he ever came back._

_I can't let myself wonder if you would've ever come back, so now I'm letting you go - because almost since the beginning of this game, I knew that what mattered the most in the end was your happiness, and if somehow you've come to the conclusion that despite everything it still lies with her, I'll have to respect that._

_I wish you the best. I really do._

_And for my last lesson, here's what I dreamed last night:_

_I dreamed of the house where I spent the first six years of my life. It was a small house, if I recall correctly: three small bedrooms and one bathroom that we all shared in the upstairs hallway. But I think my mom kept it clean and comfortable; at least in my memories, she smiles while dancing around with a broom, or while uncovering a pot of something honestly strange-smelling; she tended to burn our food - a lot I think. The scent of something overcooked – black roasts, brown grilled cheeses and the sort - almost always drifted out to the back while Jamie and I played._

_I don't think I went to pre-school; Renee (Did I ever tell you my mom's name?) being a stay-at-home mom, chose to keep me with her until Kindergarten. So I'd spend my days playing and waiting for Jamie - who was a whole eight years older than me - to get home every afternoon. When I'd hear the yellow school bus pull down our street, I'd jump from whatever I was doing and go meet him like a bouncy, happy little puppy. Once his homework was done, that was when my real day would begin because we'd run to the back and play on the swings, or he'd dress me up in one of his military costumes and make me the enemy soldier while he rescued the world from my invasion. Or we'd play cops and robbers. That was a favorite, I think, because Jamie being so much older than I and a cop's son, he knew the entire Miranda rights and enjoyed arresting me. Yeah, I was always the bad guy, but that was okay._

_Anyway, I dreamed of home last night. Jamie and I were swinging away in our wooden swing set in the back, but something was strange because though he looked the way I remember him looking the last time I saw him – tall and thin and lanky, the way fourteen year-olds tend to be with his curly brown hair long and falling over his forehead; I didn't look or feel six years old. I looked the way I look now; I **felt** what I feel now._

_I was definitely dressed in a military costume though._

_And I was crying._

"_All's fair in love and war, Bell." He said this not in a cold way, but matter-of-factly, as if it were something that couldn't be helped._

"_I loved him," I cried. "But he didn't love me - not enough."_

"_I'm gonna kick his ass," he growled frowning, but I shook my head._

"_You can't. You're only fourteen," I reminded him while wiping snot off my nose. "He's almost twice your age, and he's tall and lean, but he's got these muscles. . ."_

_Hey, I'm not saying the dream made total sense. I'm just telling it how it went._

"_Then __**you **__kick his ass," Jamie ordered, getting off his swing and coming to stand stiffly in front of me. "You're big now, and I've shown you how to deck someone bigger than you." His brown eyes blazed, hands fisted at his sides._

_I looked up and grinned weakly at him. "Jamie, decking him isn't going to work. It's not going to make the hurt here go away." I pointed at my heart, hidden under a bunch of military emblems._

_He frowned again, looking so confused and…helpless._

"_Bellsie, I don't know what to tell you. I never fell in love. I never became an expert at any of that."_

_I started crying harder, and then Jamie wrapped me in his arm the way he always did when I'd fall during one of our games or when he got too rough and forgot I wasn't a GI from the enemy camp – but just a small, silly girl._

"_You'll be okay, Bellsie," he promised. "I'm sorry you got hurt, but you'll be okay. You'll see."_

_But I wasn't that six year-old little girl anymore, and I didn't fit in his arms the way I used to._

_And then I dreamed of you._

_You were sitting in that chair in your old bedroom, in Esme's house, still wearing that nice suit you wore for the party, except it looked about as bad as Mike's clothes had looked; wrinkled everywhere, with these pretty gross looking stains all over the pants. And well…you didn't smell too good in this dream if I've gotta be honest. Your head was down and cradled in your hands, and you kept taking these deep breaths, every few minutes raking a hand through your hair. And you were mumbling._

"…_Sorry. So sorry. I'm so sorry," you kept saying, over and over, raking that hand, fisting your hair wildly._

_Was that last dream really a dream or reality? I don't know._

_So just in case, I'll tell you that I could've forgiven you a momentary transgression with Bree, a second of doubt - of indecision, even the humiliation in front of your friends and family. I could've forgiven you almost anything._

_But Jamie was all I had left, and you tried to take him away from me, and I'm sorry, but letting go of everything is a lesson I don't ever want to learn._

OOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**I thought this would help see Bella's perspective a bit better. Let me know what you all think.**

**A couple of things I'd like to add quickly.**

**There were a few questions regarding some of the things that happened in the last chapter. **

**First I'd like to stress that Bree decided to leave Forks after her talk with Carlisle and Mike because they basically "encouraged" her to leave and take some time off, as in, as Chief of Staff and as Hospital Director, respectively. So while I know many of you wanted her to really pay for what she did, she's basically been let go by the hospital, though because of the relationship she had with Mike, as well as the fact that Carlisle's known her and her family since she was a kid, it was a quiet dismissal. Yeah, yeah, nepotism and it's not fair, but that's life. Hope that makes sense.**

**That being said, one of my readers let me know that in reality Bree COULD HAVE been charged with a slew of things for what she did outside the Cullen's house: Ethical malpractice, fines, revocation of her license, jail time, child endangerment, and such. But remember, this story is NOT about her. **

**Second, I just want to make sure that everyone's clear that Bella DID NOT leave with EDWARD in the last chapter. I know some of you were confused. If you haven't figured out who she left with, you'll definitely find out next chapter. **

**Third, some of you were confused as to what Bella meant when she wrote, "but you tried to take him away from me," in regards to Jamie. Think about what Bree said in that front yard, and where Bella thinks Bree got that info from. Hope that helps.**

**As always, review or PM me with any questions. I know I haven't been getting back to many reviews because time is just too short for me these days, but if you have a question, I generally try to clear it up for you.**

**And finally, thanks for all the love last chappy. Yes, there are those that review just to say they hate the story, and my response always depends on whether I'm pms-ing or not. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' Facebook page is on my profile.**


	26. Chapter 25 Help & Help

**A/N: Thanks to my beta, Michelle Renker-Rhodes, for checking this.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter Song Recs:**

**For B's POV: **

_**It Must've Been Love**_** by Roxette**

_**Already Gone**_** by Kelly Clarkson**

**For E's POV: **

_**It Will Rain**_** by Bruno Mars**

**Chapter 25 - Help & Help**

* * *

**BPoV**

Not everything I wanted to say to Edward could be done so in a letter. There would be words and emotions that would go unspoken - scenarios I might someday allow myself to dream of, but for now, I had to let them scatter away, like the dry and brittle leaves left in the car's wake.

Besides, my fingers were cramping up like little fuckers.

And my stomach felt queasy. A combination of distressed nerves and writing in the car was making my tummy roll, and the last thing I needed was another barfing incident. With a heavy sigh I closed my journal and unfurled my fingers from the pen, stretching them out to get the blood flowing. My leg and my head ached. At some point dark skies had given way to a muted sun far in the horizon, flanked by the clouds that were more the norm for this part of the country. Everything was now as it should be – as it should've been all along.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

He'd been asking me this question or a variation thereof for a couple of hours now. I'd simply nod or give him a quiet "yes," in response. It'd been basically a silent ride with me writing and Jake lost in his own thoughts. I felt kind of bad for bringing him into this mess, but I'd had no one else to call, and while just a few months ago hitchhiking in the rain at four in the morning would've been just another night in the life of Bella Swan, it hadn't sounded like such a great idea this time around.

Funny how one short summer could change so much.

I turned to him and nodded, forcing a small smile. He gave me a quick sidelong glance; onyx eyes set close together and smirked.

"Are you sure you're making the right decision here, Bella?"

I drew in a deep breath and turned away from him; the breath I released painted a warm cloud against the passenger window.

"I've always wanted to go to Tuscany," I said by way of answer.

We were both silent again.

"You never did meet him there, did you?"

I shook my head. My vision blurred, turning everything outside the window into a discord of greens and browns and grays.

"I met him in an examination room," I admitted, holding up my arm and showcasing where just above my elbow lay a small scar, barely even visible anymore. "I needed stitches."

Jake snorted; his eyes firmly on the windshield. "So he beat me by what, twenty-four hours?"

Clouded by exhaustion and anxiety, my addled brain had no idea what he was talking about.

"What?"

He turned his head my way, staring for a few long seconds before turning back. "Nothing. Never mind." Then he sighed one of those long, heavy sighs. "I guess it doesn't really work that way anyway, does it?"

I gazed at his sharp profile for a minute, and then with a shrug turned absent eyes back to my window.

OOOOOOOOOO

Jake's cell phone vibrated again, the way it had been doing every five minutes or so, quaking angrily against the front console, furious blue lights illuminating it in an urgent glow that amplified the nauseous sensation at the base of my stomach.

Jake sighed. "He's just going to keep calling. Do you want me to answer it?"

I hugged my knees closer and rested my head over them, shutting my eyes tight. When I tried to breathe I barely managed a shaky breath, like tiny successive gasps of air. I couldn't speak, or nod or shake my head. Every time the phone vibrated I jumped. My body trembled.

The next time the phone vibrated I heard Jake reach out and fumble with it.

The phone was blessedly quiet after that.

OOOOOOOOOO

I must've dozed for a while because when next I opened my eyes, we were pulling into the bus depot, a dark and dingy looking place with dozens of busses lined up in various parallel lines a few yards away. I stared at them, clutching my backpack to my chest and wondering which bus was mine – where my new adventure awaited. There was none of the excitement there used to be at that prospect though; instead my legs felt weighted down – heavy with lead. And those friggin' stitches weren't helping.

Jake put the car in park and drew in a long, unsteady breath. He looked around the run down bus station, lips curled in revulsion.

"I don't like the look of this place. Are you sure you want to do this?"

I chuckled weakly, looking around with him. "It's not like I'm going to be pitching a tent up in here."

Before he could say anything else I stepped out the car and walked over to the ticketing booth. Ten minutes later, I climbed back in, where an obviously wary Jake waited.

He pursed his lips. "Well?"

"The bus leaves in fifteen minutes."

"Where exactly are you going?"

I sighed. "I have to catch a flight from San Francisco to London and then on to Florence – the land of Michelangelo and…The David," I grinned emptily. "At least that's what the Dean of International Studies told me last time we spoke. Once I'm in SF, I'll get in contact with somebody and find out the specifics," I shrugged.

He quirked a dark brow. "And how do you plan to do that without a phone?"

"Jeez, has no one heard of payphones in this state?" I rolled my eyes.

Jake angled his entire body towards me, shaking his head. "I don't like this, Bella. Maybe you should-"

I turned to him and hastily placed the pages I'd torn out of my journal into his huge hands. His fingers curled around them.

My voice shook when I spoke. "When everything settles down, give him this."

Jake's jaw clenched. "He's such a goddamned idiot."

I shook my head, looking down between us. "He's really not." When I looked back up, Jake's black eyes bore into mine. He held my gaze, his mouth opening and closing a couple of times, as if he were trying to say something.

"Bella, I…I…"

I gripped his hands where we both still held the letter. His eyes trailed down, and then his shoulders sagged before he looked up again.

"I want you to take care of yourself," he said simply. "Be careful out there."

"I will be. And thanks for the loan, Jake. I promise, I'll pay you back as soon as-"

"Don't be stupid," he cut me off. "You should've let me give you more."

I smiled weakly. "Thanks for everything. You take care of yourself too. And…I know you're upset at Edward right now, but take care of him, okay?" Despite my best efforts my traitorous voice broke. "Don't ever stop being his friend, Jake."

His lips tightened into a straight line, and though he didn't respond, I thought I saw an ever-so-slight nod.

I smiled wider. "You're a good guy."

He snorted. With a quick kiss to his forehead, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and stepped out.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

I didn't immediately think of checking her phone, the one she'd had time to pack with about a million and one useless apps though she'd never found the time to set up her own voicemail. I'm not even sure how I made it outside, running around the house and calling her name at the top of my lungs while rain pounded my head and blood pounded between my ears. I kept telling myself that she couldn't have gotten far; she was _hurt_ for God's sakes. While the rain blurred my vision, I assured myself that I'd find her around the next corner, behind the next tree. I let her words loop around my psyche like an orbit, like the desperate mantra of a man who knows he needs to hang on.

'_I'm not going anywhere, Edward, as long as you're sure that I'm what you want.'_

"I'm sure, Bella," I murmured, fisting my hair. "I'm sure. Where are you? Jesus, where are you?"

When I walked back into her room drenched from head to foot my father was pacing the floor. My mother sat on the bed, wringing her hands. She looked up at me through eyes full of guilt.

"I didn't hear her, Edward. I'm sorry."

I simply nodded. What could I say? I had no words of comfort for her. Bella was gone.

Bella was gone. This time, she was really gone. No other thought could compete with that one. Nothing else would matter until I undid that fact.

When I finally did notice her phone on the nightstand, precariously close to the edge, I wasn't even surprised to see that she'd called Jake. Wasn't he the first person _I'd_ thought of calling the last time I'd thought she'd disappeared? Who better to help her with her escape? I dialed his number while my parents looked on, anxious and wide-eyed, and once again I wasn't the least bit surprised when he didn't pick up.

'_You're a fucking idiot.' - _Those had been Jake's last words of wisdom to me.

I snorted and hit the 'end' button. "Yeah, I really am."

OOOOOOOOOO

Just a week ago, the sun would've already been making its way above the mountains at this time of morning, rising over the horizon in hues of red and orange. But though the rain had finally let up, the only sign that daybreak was approaching was the thin sliver of maroon shooting across the sky, flaming into an angry crimson further north.

I followed the glow while the headlights on Bella's truck cut through the still encroaching darkness. I'd followed the 101 out of town for about twenty miles before turning back and heading the other way. My eyes peered sharply into every passing vehicle, searching for my beautiful wanderer.

I called Jake again, like I'd been doing every few minutes for the past hour because though my eyes kept searching in passing cars, I knew who she was with.

"Jake, call me back."

"Jake, if Bella's with you, I need to speak with her. Please call me back."

"Jake, I _know_ she's with you. Bring her back to me."

"Goddamnit, Jake! You _have_ to bring her back! _Please_. Just…" I fisted my hair, my voice shaking, "just call me back and let me know she's okay. Tell her I need to speak with her."

After a while, the calls went straight to voice mail. My phone hit the top of the console with a resounding thud.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Miss Cope, This is Doctor Edward Cullen." I cleared my throat and tried to sound as professional as possible. "I've already left one message. Please return my call as soon as possible. It's regarding Isabella Swan. Please, Miss Cope. It's urgent." I hung up and tossed the phone over the empty passenger seat before scrubbing a frustrated hand down my face.

"Alright," I muttered, clearly hearing the edge in my voice but trying to ignore it. I had to stave off the panic so I could think clearly. I had to drown it all out with steely resolve, because I _would_ find her. "What are the options here?"

How long would it take her to get to Tuscany? Would she head directly over there or wander around first? Should I check Phoenix and Seattle first or head straight to Tuscany? And how do you find one beautiful girl in cities full of people? Searching for Bella in Forks was one thing, but in Seattle, or Arizona, or in a completely different continent…

My lungs constricted. I drew in a sharp, deep breath. I'd find her. If I had to search for the rest of my life, I'd find her. At some point I realized that aimless wandering would get me nowhere, so I gritted my teeth and with a racing heart went to wait at what was still my best chance for some answers.

The overcast morning ended, giving way to an equally dim noon when Jake finally pulled into the gravel in front of his house. He was barely out of the car when I pushed him up against the door. His glared at me through cool, unsurprised eyes.

"Where the fuck is she?" My voice trembled, desperation outlined in every word.

He scowled.

"Jake, where is she?" I heaved.

"You don't deserve her," he snarled. "Do you have any idea how hurt she is? The _pain_ I had to see in her eyes?"

I closed my own eyes and cringed. "Just tell me where she is," I pleaded lowly.

"For what?" he snorted. "So you can finish the job? So you can-"

I shoved him again, but I had no strength left. "Please, Jake."

His dark eyes stared back with no mercy reflected in them.

"Jake," I swallowed against the lump in my throat, "Jake, I know you care about her. I know you do. I understand, and I don't blame you because it's _impossible_ not to care for her. But Jake, I _love_ her. I love her more than anything; more than my own life, and I know I hurt her, I know, but I'll search the entire world if I have to until I find her. I'm just asking for some help here."

He narrowed his eyes and held my gaze for a few long moments; jaw clenched tight, lips set in a stiff, implacable line.

I turned around and walked away. When he spoke, I was already halfway in the truck.

"Her bus left the Seattle Greyhound station at eight a.m. this morning, due in at San Francisco at nine-thirty a.m. tomorrow. She's got a few pit stops to make as well as a four and a half hour lay-over in Sacramento at two a.m. After that, she'll be on her way to Italy."

I made a few quick calculations. Between her four hour head start and my being three hours further north, she had about seven hours on me, but then with her pits stops and four and a half hour lay-over-

"Hey, do you remember that short-cut we took to San Francisco right after we finished high school?"

I nodded with my back still to Jake. Between the short-cut and some admittedly crazy driving, we'd shaved about four hours off that trip.

"If you get started right now, even with a three hour or so rest stop for some sleep - which you gotta take man 'cause you honestly look like shit - you should be able to catch up to her right outside Sacramento's city limits."

I let out a long gust of air through narrowed lips. "Thanks, Jake."

He said something else, but I was already burning rubber.

OOOOOOOO

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**We're almost there…a couple more chapters and an epilogue (or two).**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by Pattyrose' on Facebook is on my profile.**


	27. Ch 26 Peace & Faith

**A/N: ****Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing and being my cheerleader!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter song recs:**

**_Big Girls Don't Cry_ by Fergie**

**_The Reason_ by Hoobastank**

**Ch. 26 Peace & Faith**

* * *

**BPoV**

I would've been better off hitchhiking.

Packing a few dozen bodies into one bus for more than three hours? _So _not a good idea.

And then the number of stops - man alive! Not that I wasn't grateful for the fifteen or so minutes every couple of hours to get out and stretch my legs – my stitches were aching like a bitch - but if we were going to be tortured with all these interesting odors anyway, wouldn't it have been better to get it over with in one go – kind of like pulling off a Band-Aid, you know?

So no, the bus ride did NOT do much to improve my ability to breathe; I had to keep taking these uber-long drags to get enough air in my lungs to barely function. Then again, maybe the problem was that I'd left my lungs behind in a tiny town way up north.

I'd gotten a window seat so that I could stare out at the landscape and lose myself in the passing scenery – majestic Washington mountains; winding Oregon rivers, so peaceful, but so far none of it had quieted the turmoil in my heart; none of had helped with my breathing problem. Maybe once I was on a different continent - surrounded by old-world beauty and history – I'd finally find serenity for my emotions; I'd finally get my lungs back.

Maybe if I smoked a cigarette?

A quiet little voice inside me whispered knowingly that that wouldn't help. Not much would.

At around noon, we stopped to change busses in Portland. Then we had a half hour evening stop in Medford. I took a quick run to the drugstore across the street and picked up some aspirin for my achy leg and head, and then ran across to the other corner to the obligatory McDonald's pit stop. I picked at my salad absently, even though it had these yummy-looking pieces of crispy bacon swimming around in it. But along with my lungs, I must've left my appetite behind as well.

After a five minute bathroom break to wash my face and rinse my mouth, I climbed back on board, pleasantly surprised to see that my seat mate had changed; he'd been a not-so-pleasant smelling man in his forties or so that snored loudly and kept falling asleep on my shoulder while mumbling "mommy." Anyway, he'd been replaced by a safe-looking lady in about her late sixties. She smelled nice, and when I asked her to excuse me so that I could get back in my seat, she smiled up at me kindly.

"And where are you headed?" she asked, as if we'd been in the middle of a conversation.

"San Francisco," I half-smiled.

"Me too!" she grinned. "My son and his family live over there. They just had a new baby and I'm going to be staying with them 'til my daughter-in-law is up and at it again." She leaned in closer and dropped her voice. "Between you and me, I think she just keeps popping them out so that she doesn't have to do a thing around the house. How 'bout you - family over there?"

I shook my head.

"Friends?"

Shook it again. "It's just a pit stop. I'll be going off to Europe soon - to Tuscany."

"Oh wow! Now that_ does_ sound exciting!" She clapped her hands quietly. "Are you excited?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

Nice Lady frowned. "That didn't sound too convincing."

"I am," I insisted with another shrug.

She studied me. "Okay. _Oh! Okaaay_," she whispered, nodding up and down as if the world suddenly made tons of sense – which is _so_ did not. Then she patted my hand the way Hoverer used to back in that kingdom far, far away where fairy-tales ruled the world. "You're running away," she proclaimed.

"I am _not_ running away," I frowned, removing my hand from under hers because maybe she wasn't such a nice lady after all.

She stared at me, totally unfazed by my indignation. "Well did you at least say your peace before you left?"

"I…wrote a letter," I said, chin held high, "but…I guess it didn't say _everything. _I mean, it's hard to say _everything_ in a letter; you can't exactly-"

"Mhm," she cut me off with a smirk. "And did _he_ say his peace?"

I twisted my lips and looked down at my lap. Had I always been such an open book? I didn't think so.

"He just kept saying, 'I can explain, I can explain,'" I mimicked Edward's heartbreaking velvety voice, "but I didn't need him to explain." I looked back up bravely. "I'm pretty smart like that."

"Mhm," she said again through pursed lips. "Well then honey, I hate to tell ya, but unless you both said all there is to say, you're simply running away."

I looked away from her then, out at the way the evening sun set behind the dark river.

OOOOOOOOOO

In the wee hours of the morning, we made another bus transfer in Sacramento. Now this stop was a long fucker – almost five hours. Nice Lady – whose name was really Laura and was, despite her all-too-keen nosiness, actually a pretty nice lady - and I talked for a while over at the twenty-four hour diner across the street, and then we cleaned up in the public bathroom as best as we could and had breakfast before getting back on the bus just after daybreak. If all went well, we'd be in San Francisco in less than three hours.

I stared out of my window again at the rising sun in the east, at the mostly empty, quiet roads - and then I clonked out.

In my dream, I was outside the hospital waiting for Edward. He finally stepped through the wide glass doors in his green scrubs with dark circles under his eyes because he'd worked another long shift, and he looked so uber-beautiful despite tired eyes and crazy hair. I honked at him. I honked and honked and he looked up and saw me and smirked at all the noise I was making. But I simply laughed and honked some more because this was the magical land of happily-ever-after, where _I_ was the princess and dreams really did come true.

When I opened my eyes, Nice Lady was leaning over me, her hair in my mouth while she glared out of the window. I spit out her split ends, and a horn blared loudly against my ear.

"What's going on?" I rasped tiredly. "Where are we?"

"Just inside Suisun City limits. Some maniac is trying to hijack the bus."

"What?" I snorted, sitting up straight. She jerked her head towards the window.

"Take a look for yourself."

I whipped my head around, squinting against the bright California morning sunshine. Tired, unfocused and with the sun glaring into my eyes, all I could make out was a bad-ass red pick-up driving parallel to the tail of the bus – not a smart move on the part of the pick-up driver since there was only one lane splitting the road in each direction.

"What the-"

The sun abruptly hid behind a billowy cloud, eliminating the glare. In that moment, a uniquely bronze head of hair shone through the windshield. I let out a choked gasp. The horn blared loudly again as the bronze-haired driver picked up speed and pulled up along the bus driver.

"Pull Over!"

"Good-looking guy, but he's obviously a screwball. What a waste," Nice Lady tsked with a shake of her head.

The bronze-haired screwball of which she spoke honked again - long, persistent slams against the horn.

"Pull Over!" he demanded of the bus driver, who responded by opening up his window and yelling out,

"What the hell is your problem, buddy? Are you nuts?"

My heart raced; my mouth hung wide open. Edward angled his entire body to the right, and stuck his head out of the passenger side window.

"I need to speak to one of your passengers!"

The bus driver snorted and slammed his window closed. A few loud gasps erupted, and my heart stopped while Edward swerved out of the way to avoid an oncoming car.

"Never mind screwball," Nice Lady murmured, "that right there is one crazy fucker."

Edward pulled up along the bus again, and my heart started up again; beating out a furious rhythm - chest heaving wildly.

"Buddy, are you fucking crazy?" the bus driver bellowed through his closed window, obviously mirroring Nice Lady's thoughts.

I couldn't even blame Nice Lady or the bus driver for their assumptions because Edward angled his body towards the passenger side once more, his emerald eyes as wild as his blowing hair. Even from here, I could see about two day's worth of stubble over his square jaw. He looked every bit the crazy fucker.

A beautiful crazy fucker.

"Bella!" He called out while his eyes searched frenziedly through the tinted windows of the bus. "Bella!"

Nice Lady peered down at me with a slow smirk. "Aren't _you_ Bella?"

I bit my lip and drew in another horrified gasp when Edward swerved out of the way of another car before pulling parallel to us again.

"Pull over!" he demanded. "I need to speak with Bella!"

"Is there a Bella on the bus?" the bus driver bellowed.

Like a shocked and cowardly little snake, I slinked down in my seat.

The bus driver pulled open the window again. "Ain't no Bella on this bus!"

Through the thick glass panes, I heard the engine on my beautiful pick-up roar, and then Edward picked up speed and cut in front of the bus, finally maneuvering into the correct lane.

I closed my eyes and exhaled, waiting for relief to wash over me, but all I felt was a sense of loss so all-consuming I feared I might drown in it. Then again, maybe drowning right now would be a good thing.

But while I tried to bring my emotions under some semblance of control, to figure out whether I felt overjoyed or extremely pissed off, the bus driver suddenly put the brakes on the bus. My eyes popped open as our speed took a quick nose-dive, and the driver spewed out a string of expletives even Jamie would've been impressed with.

"What the _fuck_?" he whined after his long rant.

Nice Lady gawked down the front of the bus, a huge smile on her lips. "Boy, that crazy fucker of yours just won't give up, will he?" she chuckled.

I leaned into her and with a petrified and panic-stricken heart peered down the length of the bus.

About a third of the mile down the road, Edward had pulled the pick-up over onto the right hand shoulder - and _he_ was standing in the middle of our lane.

The bus driver pulled into the shoulder and came to a stop a few yards from where Edward stood stiff and defiant.

"That's it!" He grabbed his radio. "I'm calling in the State Troopers!"

"No! No! Stop!" I screamed. With a quick jump, I sprinted down the narrow space between the seats. My body trembled; I felt weak at the knees yet antsy all at once.

"Please don't call the State Troopers," I pleaded furiously driver. "I know he's behaving like a crazy fucker but he's really not. Just give me a few minutes with him."

"Lady, are you nuts?" He looked me up and down. "You might be cute and all, but this here bus is on a schedule. We don't have a few minutes to spare."

"Oh cut the crap; of course we do," Nice Lady suddenly called out from her seat. "We're about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, and I for one want to see how this turns out."

A sudden chorus of disjointed voices abruptly all called out,

"Yeah,"

"Yeah,"

"Yeah."

The bus driver sighed, extremely irate, but slowly put the radio back on its base.

"Thank you," I breathed. "I'll be right back! Don't leave without me!"

With one super-duper deep breath and a heart about ready to collapse or explode - I wasn't sure which one - I climbed off of the bus.

**EPoV**

When the bus slowed and then finally came to a stop, I didn't know what to expect.

Was it the right bus?

I sure as hell hoped it was; otherwise, I'd just forced the wrong bus-full of passengers to pull over for nothing.

And even worse, Bella was still out there somewhere.

My heart beat out a spasmodic rhythm as the doors pulled open. For a few seconds nothing happened. The passing cars filled my ears with their noisy swoosh; the breeze they generated blew at my hair and clothes; the scent of grass and gravel invaded my nostrils.

And then Bella stepped out.

She stood stock still just outside of the bus – like a wary kitten that wasn't sure whether to come out play or run and hide - for what felt like forever. With her hair wild and untamed, her jeans wrinkled and her tank top all stretched out, she was the most beautiful vision I'd ever seen. When she started running towards me, my heart almost burst. My face broke out into the most joyous grin _ever_.

"Bella," I breathed, two days worth of fear and relief evident in the inflection. I strode quickly towards her, anticipating the feel of her arms around me, her warm body pressed against mine, giddy with glorious anticipation-

She shoved my chest – _hard_.

"Are you friggin' crazy?" she yelled, her beautiful features contorted in pure, unadulterated fury. So beautiful and breathtaking. Her dark eyes glowered, rimmed in tired circles - hypnotic.

I took a step towards her and tried to wrap my hands around her flushed face. "Bella."

She shoved me away again. "You could've gotten yourself hurt or _killed_!" she raged, "or thrown in jail!"

I stood in place this time. Obviously she didn't want me touching her. My hands opened and closed anxiously at my sides.

"I had to find you."

Even with her unrestrained ire, with the way her eyes glowered with resentment and animosity, I couldn't help the smile that pulled at the edges of my mouth. She was here. I'd found her. Somehow, I'd found her.

She glared at me, her eyes burning through mine.

"Can we talk," I asked quietly, half of my mouth still in a lopsided grin despite it all because _I'd found her_, "two days and three states later?"

This is when her already burning eyes blazed with indignant outrage.

"Talk?" she asked. "You want to talk?" Her indignation – along with her voice – seemed to rise with each word.

I nodded.

She glared at me, nostrils flaring.

"You betrayed me!" she shouted.

The small grin of shameless joy I'd been sporting fell from my face.

"No, Bella." I shook my head, but she went on.

"You betrayed my trust! You told her everything - about my past, about _Jamie_!"

"No, Bella," I repeated steadfastly.

"You had no right to tell her about Jamie! Jamie is _mine_!" She shrieked, banging a fist against her chest. "_My_ family! My _only_ family!"

I spoke steadily. "Jamie is _not_ your only family."

But Bella wasn't listening. The words poured out of her without restraint, as if she'd been holding them all in for far too long.

"Did you really think I was crazy, Edward?" she cried.

"Of course not, Bella!" I insisted, but she continued speaking over me.

"Is that why you told her?"

I reached out for her again, lifting eager hands to her shoulders, but she took two steps back, steering clear of my touch.

"I didn't-"

"Do you really think that I don't know that he's _dead_?"

And there they were. Those few simple words she had never uttered aloud, thrown at me like daggers; spoken with so much pain it made me cringe.

"Bella, love-"

"Do you really think I haven't known that fact since the moment those cops came to my gran's door?" she asked quietly. "I know what dead means, Edward. Jamie explained it to me clearly when I was five and our pet hamster, BonJovi died. At first my mom told me that he was just sleeping, and then she said that he had to go away for a while, but then Jamie came to my room and told me the truth - that BonJovi wasn't _just_ sleeping," she snorted grimly, tears rolling down her cheek. "His heart had stopped beating, and it would never start again, and people and animals can't live without a beating heart, he told me, so BonJovi would never open his eyes, and we'd have to bury him, and his body would rot and eventually his bones would turn to ash. He'd become nothing more than dust and vague memories."

"Oh, Bella." I tried to reach for her once more, to bring her trembling body against mine, but she jerked away from my hands.

Her voice grew louder again. "So yes, Edward! I've known how dead Jamie _and_ my parents are every single day of my life! But I kept him with me, and you want to know why?"

Despite the fact that I knew how hard it would be to hear her answer, I nodded, because if Bella was finally getting years of pain off of her chest, I'd be damned if I let her down.

"Because he's the only person I've been able to count on my entire life," she barely whispered. "Because I know _he'll_ never leave me; _he'll_ never hurt me or judge me or betray me in any way. He's the only goddamned person that has ever _really_ loved me, in every single foster home, in every single town, in college and in New York and Florida and Vegas and in _fucking Forks_. And _you_ tried to take him away from me!" she yelled.

"No, Bella!" I yelled back. Her eyes grew wide while her head jerked back in surprise.

"No," I said roughly, shaking my head. "I want you to have your say. I want you to get it all off your chest, but you're wrong, love, on so many points."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, crossing her arms in front of herself, but she didn't dispute me. I put my palms up so she could see them and took a careful step towards her. Her eyes narrowed further, but she didn't move back.

"First of all," I said, taking another slow, small step closer, "You have to know that although I'm sure Jamie loved you immeasurably, he has _never_ been the only person that's ever loved you, Bella. You've run away with the hearts of almost every person you've ever met. You just don't stay around long enough to see it."

"Why should I stay?" she cried out. "So I could get my heart broken again? So everyone can leave me again?"

It was suddenly all so clear. Bella hadn't been running all this time because she couldn't find anything worth staying for, but because she was terrified of being left behind again, of losing those she loved. So she left before she could be left.

My entire frame vibrated with the need to take one long stride and wrap her in my arms. But I had to tread carefully, to make her finally understand that as far as it was in my control, I would never, ever leave her.

"Bella," I began, "we can't always plan the future. There are things beyond our control. I learned that this summer. We don't always know what's waiting for us around the corner, but when we find someone that we want to turn that corner with, turn _every_ corner with regardless of what's waiting there," I said shakily, "then we have to hold on as tight as we can. Through everything."

"You chose _her_," she looked down at the ground between us and sobbed openly now, and every tear from her eyes morphed into a blade, stabbing at my heart. "You chose her to turn your corners with. I stayed, and you still chose her."

"No, Bella, I didn't," I clarified, trying to keep a steady voice despite the lump in my throat. "There was no competition, Bella. From the moment I walked into that exam room and found you cradling an almost non-existent gash while humming and singing and whistling your strange tune, I was a goner, and despite what I may have said or done, there was never a competition. It was always you. It was _always_ going to be _you_."

She shut her eyes tight and sobbed harder, her tears spilling out from the corners of her eyes.

I took one more step. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry it took me so long to see beyond my stupid rigidity and my pre-conceived notions of what I wanted, what I needed. I'm sorry because after I stitched you up that first time and felt what I felt when I touched you, I should've been man enough to accept it; to recognize it for what it was. I should've thanked my lucky stars you'd walked into my exam room and invited you out for a cup of coffee or to dinner to discuss _you_, not what I thought were my misfortunes. I shouldn't have let my ego blind me from day one. I shouldn't have proposed something so _stupid._" I grimaced, thinking of how I'd tried to _use_ her. "I should've accepted that my fate-"

She looked up angrily then, her eyes red and puffy. "Stop talking about fate! I don't believe in fate! There's no such thing as a happily-ever-after! People don't ride off into the sunset!"

"No, you're right," I conceded. "I see that now."

She frowned.

"There's no such thing as the perfect life, the perfect couple, or the perfect marriage. And that's just fine. I mean, look at my parents. They argue. They've had some rough times. I remember some pretty loud fights seeping through their closed bedroom doors."

She nodded, her lips trembling while she waited for me to continue.

"But they walk down the street hand in hand. They dance to non-existent music. The first thing my mom does in the mornings is call my dad at the hospital. I've seen how he sighs in relief the moment he steps into the house after a long day. I've heard them whispering and giggling behind closed doors – and then I've turned the volume up all the way on the stereo."

"Yeah – I heard that too," she agreed with a shudder, her eyes still on the ground.

I chuckled once. "What I'm trying to say, Bella, is that it might not be so much fate as _faith; _faith in each other; faith that somehow you found the right one - that you found where you belong."

Her head suddenly shot up. "Faith?"

I nodded.

"Were you…speaking with Hoverer- I mean, Esme?"

I furrowed my brows and shook my head.

She pursed her lips. "If you really feel that way, then why did you tell _her_ about-"

"I didn't tell her anything about you…or Jamie."

She glared at me dubiously.

I sighed. "Miss Cope contacted the hospital again, looking for a therapist for you since you'd indicated to her that you'd be staying in Forks. The information went to Bree, and…" I raked a hand through my hair. "That's what we were discussing in the car the other night."

"You had to straddle her over your lap and tongue her down for that? Boy, that must've been some heated discussion," she sneered.

"That's not what happened."

Her nostrils flared. "You threw it in Mike's face at the party!"

"That was an old, wounded ego talking, Bella, and it was wrong, and I'm so sorry."

She crooked a brow. "So you're telling me she wasn't on your lap."

"No."

"And there was no kissing?"

My jaw clenched automatically.

Bella snorted and turned to leave. "Alrighty then, nice catching up with you."

I reached out for her and grabbed her arm, whipping her around to face me. And despite all her anger, and the uncomfortable situation we were in, those sparks - those flames present every time we touched - were still there; nothing could stop them. I heard her small gasp; I saw the way her chest hitched despite her effort to conceal her reaction. But I didn't try to conceal mine. I drew in a deep breath, reveling in the warmth of her skin.

"I didn't kiss her, she kissed me," – she snorted – "and I _know_ how _stupid_ that sounds. That's why I was so…hesitant to tell you. I didn't know how to explain that I only let her do it to prove a point."

"What point?" she spat. "That you could pick and choose whichever one of us you finally decided on?"

"No, Bella!" I gripped her other arm. "To show her that I felt _nothing_ when her lips touched mine! That there was none of the sparks or current or goddamned _fire_ that there is when you kiss me!"

She rolled her eyes. "You know, you're both supposed to be these highly intelligent individuals. Maybe you could've just pushed her away and explained all that with words," she smirked.

"I know, Bella. I know," I pleaded. "It was a stupid mistake, but that's why I was so goddamned scared to tell you. I knew you were on the edge, and I didn't want to push you off of it. Jesus, Bella, I was wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things, but _you've_ had your foot on the gas since day one."

Bella's stiff shoulders dropped. Her eyes bore into mine, full of sorrow.

"It's what I do, Edward," she said shakily. "I run, and besides, what if we already messed things up too much? You say you should've asked me to have a cup of coffee with you. _I_ should've said 'no' when you made that stupid proposal. I should've told you I wanted to stay for _you_ and only for you. What if, even if we undo all of the lies, I still don't know how to stop running?"

I wrapped my hands around her face, bringing her closer. The heat from her body consumed me. The scent of her skin, of her hair…I refused to live without them.

"You do know, Bella. You do," I said desperately, because my entire _life_ was on hinges here. "You stopped running before, and I'm sorry that I didn't make it clear to you. I'm sorry I waited so long to say it, to say it _right_, but Bella _I love you_." She began crying again. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. You say you held on to Jamie because he was the only one that ever truly loved you, that never hurt you, or betrayed you, that never left you. I understand why you needed him, and I'm sorry I hurt you, but Bella, I will never hurt you like that again. I'll never betray you, and I will never, ever leave. I will _always_ love you Bella, so if you need someone to hold on to, something worth staying for," I picked up her right hand and wrapped it around my cheek, closing my eyes momentarily to savor the heat, "hold on to _me_, Bella. Stay for _me_."

I reached into my front pocket and hastily pulled out her necklace, the feathers and beads and shells one that she rarely took off, that she'd left on top of the dresser. The ring Esme had given me, the family heirloom that was always meant for Bella, hung from it. With steady hands, I clasped the necklace around her neck, resisting the urge to put my lips against her creamy skin. When I was done, I knit my fingers around hers, holding her confused gaze.

"I was going to propose to you-"

- She gasped loudly and tried to back away, but I held her tight -

"-A real honest-to-goodness proposal because I want you forever, Bella Marie Swan, and that is _never_ going to change. But I think I understand some things a bit more clearly, and if what you need more than anything right now is someone to love you _unconditionally_, then I'll happily be that person, and we can call this ring a promise that I will _always_ do my best to be here for you; it's a promise that I'll never let you run away - a promise that when _you_ are ready, _I'll_ do my best to make your life as close to fairy-tale as it can get."

She gazed at me incredulously.

"What do you say?" I asked, my chest heaving.

Bella's lips trembled; the corners of her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She let go of one of my hands and brought it to the ring hanging from her neck, rotating it around and around while I watched and prayed and waited.

The loud blare of the bus's horn reminded us of where we really were. Bella jumped, a startled little hitch of breath escaping her lips.

"Edward, I…" Her dark eyes were wide and flustered as she unloosened her other hand from mine and started walking away backwards.

The horn blared again – two loud, impatient honks.

"Bella,"

But she turned around and broke into a sprint, and the next thing I knew she was back on the bus.

I tried to breathe through the tightening in my lungs. I refused to give into the bewilderment, the voice that told me that I'd lost her. I hadn't been lying when I said I wouldn't let her run away. If she left, I'd follow. I'd keep following until I convinced her to have faith in me again, to have faith in _us_.

Almost blindly I turned back to the pick-up, and whipped back around when I heard the sound of the bus pulling away.

She was standing there. With her backpack swung over her shoulder. And when she dropped it to the ground and sprinted back to me, I wasn't sure if she was going to fly into my arms - or shove me in the chest again.

It was the former.

In typical Bella form she wrapped her body around me, and when her mouth found mine my lungs finally expanded, finally took in the breaths they'd been denied for over forty-eight hours.

At least, they would've been able to take in those breaths if Bella wasn't kissing me wildly.

Not that I was complaining, or standing stock still the way I used to. I wrapped my hands around her face and held her tight to me, groaning at the sweet taste of her lips, at the softness of her tongue, at the silkiness of her hair. When I let her up for air I kissed her cheeks and her eyes and her nose and her throat; everywhere I could reach. And though we were standing on the shoulder of a road, though dozens of cars were zooming by, honking their horns at the show we were putting on, we may as well have been in a world of our own. Not a perfect one – not one made up of fairy tales and princes and princesses – but _ours_.

"Thank you," I murmured against her lips.

She pulled away and gazed at me, still wrapped around me, chocolate eyes glistening. "You know, two of the people that I love and trust the most in this world both told me that love isn't just fate, it's _faith_. So I figured," she shrugged wryly, "maybe it's something I should look into."

I grinned widely. "I love you – so damned much."

She grinned back. "I love you so damned much too, and…" – she bit her lip, searching my eyes – "I'm still going to finish up my degree in Tuscany. It's something I need to do…for me."

"I understand," I nodded, because though it would be hard, I did understand.

"But someone promised to visit me just as soon as he could," – she tilted her head sideways, smirking impishly - "and I may have heard wrong, but I think he started saying something about a whole week for the holidays."

"You just try to keep me away," I smirked back.

"I won't," she shook her head quietly, and kissed me softly.

We walked back to the pick-up hand in hand.

"I'm driving," she called out.

"Like hell you are. You look exhausted."

"Thank you Mister Compliments because you look oh so well rested."

"Either way, I drive better than you."

"Hah! In your dreams, mister. In your wildest, _craziest_ dreams," she yelled out happily, swinging our hands.

I moved in closer to her, adjusting the necklace against her creamy skin. She smiled.

"I drive well enough to have caught up to _you,"_ I smirked, moving away when she tried to flip my lip, "even though you had about a day's head start."

"That's because I wasn't personally driving the bus. If I had been, we would've been in friggin' Texas by now!"

"Hah! Now who's the one having wild, crazy dreams?"

"Not me. My wild, crazy dreams consist of much more interesting stuff than how long it would take me to drive to Texas."

I started the car up and turned it towards home, grinning up at the bright and shining sun.

"Oh really? So what do your wild, crazy dreams consist of?"

"Nuh uh, Edward. I'm not falling for that one. We just made up. I'm not talking dirty to you yet."

I snickered. "Well you know what they say, 'the bigger the fight, the sweeter the make-up.'

"You wish," she giggled heartily. "You really friggin' wish."

"I seem to recall someone talking similar smack at a restaurant a couple of weeks back…"

Her beautiful laughter filled the car...and my heart.

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**Thanks for all the reviews, my lovelies. I love and appreciate them all.**

**And don't worry, Jake hasn't forgotten or thrown out Edward's letter. Edward just left in a rush. :)**

**One more chapter and an epilogue (or two).**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817  
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**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' Facebook page is on my profile.**


	28. Ch 27 Love & Birds

**A/N: Okay, those of you who've read my other stories know that this happens to me sometimes. I start writing a chapter, and it gets too long, and I have to split it in two. So while this was supposed to be the last official chapter, it got too long. The second half will be posted next week.**

**Thanks to my sweet, sweet Beta Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing this and agreeing to beta my next story! (More on that down below).**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter Song Rec:**

**_Arms_ by Christina Perri (Already rec'd this in another chapter, but it was the inspiration for this story so it merits rec'ing again. :) )**

**Chapter 27 – Love & Birds**

* * *

**BPoV**

It'd been three weeks since Edward's and my West Coast Bonnie and Clyde impersonation – you know, ala Jay-Z and Beyonce in that video?

And now we were at Sea-Tac Airport.

We parked the pick-up over in short-term parking and I slung my backpack over my shoulder while Edward picked up my one suitcase. In atypical silence we walked to the terminal and stood in line to check in myself and my luggage. Behind us, a group of girls wearing matching Union Jack tee shirts giggled excitedly. I busied myself by poking at Edward's ribs and stomach, trying to coax a smile out of him and okay, not-so-secretly enjoying a few last gropes at his well-toned torso. Images of us in bed a few hours ago trickled through my mind and made me wonder when we'd be that close to each other again. The intense set of his jaw…the fire in his eyes…the feel of his perfect bottom in my hands – all filled me with bittersweet warmth. Edward grabbed my pokey fingers and wrapped his strong hands around them, pulling me in close against his chest.

"What are you thinking about?" he questioned, one brow raised because really at this point, the man could read me like a book.

I gave him an impish grin. "You know what I'm thinking about."

He snorted, pretty green eyes glaring down at me. "One track mind," he accused with a shake of his head, but anxiousness rimmed his pupils in gray tones I'd come to learn were a reflection of his emotions.

I chuckled at his charge and freed my fingers from his grip so that I could raise my hands to his stiff shoulders, stroking them, digging my thumbs into the ridges in his blades the way I knew he liked. He sighed – a long, deep sigh.

"You like my one track mind," I teased, wishing I owned some sort of magic fairy-tale wand that would take away the gray. But this was Edward, and I would never try to change him.

"I _love_ your one track mind," he corrected with a smirk.

"I know you do," I grinned. In the past three weeks, Edward had made his feelings perfectly clear both through words _and_ actions. There were no doubts. But we wouldn't see each other for a few weeks, and while we both handled stress in different ways – him with a stiff upper lip and me with nervous teasing - our hearts felt the same ache this afternoon.

So I whistled a little tune and returned to my poking - his perfect mouth, his straight nose, his smooth forehead, memorizing the exact temperature of his skin, the precise shape of the small birthmark on the left side of his jaw. He jerked away from my pokes, a small smile on his soft lips. His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me close to him, gazing, memorizing me too.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Why aren't all your travel documents together the way I told you to keep them?" Edward scolded once we were off the check-in line and our way to Customs. We'd had quite the adventure just now digging through my backpack to find my passport, and control-freak Edward was now in full glorious swing.

Like I said, stress.

"Because _I_ have a system," I lied. "I knew where it was all along. I was just checking to see if you did."

He rolled his eyes and I laughed while he brooded the entire way to the Customs area. His bottom lip protruded in a sulky pout, but it did nothing to intimidate me because really it was just plain old sexy, and how could one be intimidated when all you wanted to do was bite that lip off?

"I told you to keep your documents together." He continued with his tirade, lips pursed in a way I hadn't seen in months. "If you lose your passport-"

"Edward, I'm not going to lose any of my documents," I chuckled. "I've managed to keep my stuff together for almost seventeen years now. A change of continent isn't going to change that."

He stopped and turned to face me, the grey still there - anxiousness now also evident in the creases marring his forehead. "Are you sure you have everything you need?"

I grinned up at him, trying to coax him back into a better mood. "Let's see shall we?" I rolled my backpack off my shoulder and set it on the floor, kneeling in front of it. Edward knelt down with me.

Unzipping the main compartment to my backpack, I pulled out the toiletries bag Esme prepared for me, packed with toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, comb, pretty pink lip gloss, mini soap, mini hand sanitizer, and a few other odds and ends to keep me clean and nice-smelling. The pretty little travel bag she'd put it all in smelled clean and fresh, just like her.

"This is Hoverer making sure that I don't morph into a skunk between here and Europe."

Edward snorted.

I reached back in and pulled out the small little lunch bag full of fresh-baked pastries and bacon wrapped sausages Emmett and Rose prepared for me. It smelled yummy, but I'd promised myself I wouldn't taste until we were at least fifteen thousand feet in the air.

"This is Emmett and Rose making sure that I don't starve to death between here and Europe."

Edward chuckled. Now we were getting somewhere.

I reached in again and pulled out a laminated picture of Little Dude and me. I was holding him high up in the air while he laughed his little heart away so hard he'd ended up with one bad-ass case of hiccups. I stared at the picture for a few seconds before blinking the sting in my eyes back and looked over at Edward. He was watching me thoughtfully.

"This is Little Dude," I smiled shakily, turning the picture over so that he could see it, "making sure that I don't forget what his fat little face looks like." Edward chuckled softly.

I sighed and put the picture back. "Aha!" I exclaimed, pulling out my e-reader and turning it on. "Jasper and Alice loaded this thing up with trashy novels before they went back to college, you know, lest I get bored with all the artistic wonders in Tuscany. Listen to this," I snorted, reading for him, "'His hot, pulsing member invaded me, thrust deep into my tightest recesses, punished me with a desperate rhythm that left me panting and begging for more, more!" I chuckled and fanned myself. "Boy, I don't think I'll be getting much sleep during this flight!"

Edward rolled his eyes at this gift. "Just don't forget to read the travel abroad books I downloaded for you or the brochures the school sent over."

"Mm," I answered absently while my finger slid across the screen. "Oh, and Jake added this one, _'Scary and True Stories of Student Life Abroad_."

I looked up at Edward. His expression was unreadable. "You saw Jake?"

"Yeah, he stopped by the apartment yesterday while you were out. He came to wish me a good trip."

Edward nodded solemnly. Jake hadn't been around much for the past few weeks. At first I'd blamed myself for the rift between he and Edward, since I'd asked him to take me to Seattle, but Edward assured me that wasn't it. I reached over and took his hand.

"You watch; you and Jake will be tighter than two peas in a pod again soon."

"I know," he grinned. "We will be."

It made me feel good to hear his confidence.

Edward grabbed my hands and helped me up, holding my gaze solemnly once more. His finger smoothed down my cheek.

"Bella, please be careful over there," he pleaded for the umpteenth time in the past forty-eight hours.

"Edward," I squeezed his hand gently, "I _know_ how to be on my own. Europe _can't_ be that different."

He shook his head. "There are many differences. You don't speak the language for one," – I opened my mouth to protest – "and buon giorno, arrivederci and va' fanculo don't count." I shut my mouth.

"I know a few phrases too," I grinned defensively, and then raised my mouth to his ear and whispered, "Voglio fare l'amore con te. Portami al tuo letto. Dove si trova la stazione ferroviaria?"

That beautiful smirk was on his face when I pulled back, green eyes blazing in that kegelicious way.

"First of all, you'll have no use for those first two sentences, at least not until _I_ get there," he growled while I chuckled heartily. "And second, I'm talking about more than just the language barrier, Bella."

I got on my tip-toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands automatically snaked around my waist, just under my shirt. "I know what you're talking about, Edward, and I promise, no hitchhiking," – he pursed his lips - "no wandering around by myself late at night," I continued, "no flashing my pretty cell phone. I _will_ be careful. I'll take care of myself for _you_."

Because I'd finally found someone I wanted to keep myself safe for.

He searched my eyes and must've found something in them that made his stiff shoulders relax a bit. But then his eyes moved to the customs line and he sighed, shoulders drooping almost in defeat.

"The line's getting long," he mumbled begrudgingly. "You'd better start going through."

I'd be lying if I said that now that Edward and I had corrected so many of the mistakes we'd made with each other since the beginning of this strange relationship, now that we were finally in a good place, in a _real_ place, I hadn't started to really look forward to Tuscany. It had been one of my few dreams for most of my adult life, after all.

But I'd also be lying if I didn't say that at that moment, I suddenly wanted nothing more than to run back to the pick-up and drive back to our safe little apartment in our safe little town and snuggle in bed with Edward and never get up.

His thumbs stroked my lower back. I was sure he could feel how I suddenly trembled.

"Take care of my truck," I instructed. "Don't ride him too hard. And feed him only the high quality stuff."

"I will," he smirked.

"And…make sure you get enough sleep, Edward." I ghosted one finger gently under his eye. "You'll be no good to your patients if you aren't well-rested."

"I'll try to remember that," he smiled.

"I'll remind you every time we speak."

"Okay."

"Okay."

We held each other's gaze. Out of my periphery, I could see the line growing, but just couldn't make myself let go.

Edward brought a hand up to my necklace, turning the shiny ring hanging off of it over and over between two fingers. I watched as he swallowed thickly and reached into his back pocket, and then I felt his hand on my backside as he slipped something into the pocket there before giving it a squeeze.

"One more thing for you to read while you're on the plane. You know, in between the dirty books from Alice and the horror stories from Jake."

My heart felt about to implode. I wrapped my arms around him so tight, and he crushed me into him.

"I'm going to miss you so much," I breathed, choking back the tears.

"Oh baby I'm going to miss you too." He pressed his mouth to my hair over and over, and then quickly gripped my face in his warm hands. "But you're going to be fine. You're going to have a great time, and explore and discover and learn and see so much, and before you know it," – he smiled and ran the back of his fingers across my cheek – "I'll be there to add my boring spin to things."

I chuckled and shook my head, feeling the sting in my eyes. "_You_, Doctor Cullen, are anything but boring. Somewhere out there are dozens of ex-Greyhound passengers that'll readily attest to that."

He smirked that beautiful smirk of his, and I flipped his lip, only he didn't try to pull away. My finger lingered on his smooth lip for a few wonderful moments, but then I pulled away to reach into my backpack one last time.

"I uhm…I sort of have something for you too. I packed this away, but…come to think of it I probably won't need it. You don't have to wear it or anything," I rushed out, "just… keep it under my pillow or something, for safekeeping." I shrugged sheepishly.

Edward held Jamie's jersey against his chest reverently, eyes sparkling and glassy. With a bob of his Adam's apple he nodded. "I'll take good care of it until you come back. I promise."

"I know you will." And then I leaned over and placed my lips on his - slowly, gently, our tongues just barely touching. I pulled away and rested my forehead on his. "We're going to be just fine," I whispered because I knew in my heart that we would. I had _faith_ – and maybe a little fate mixed in there with it.

Edward drew in a deep breath. "Yes, we are. I love you, Bella."

And as always, those words wrapped me in the sweetest warmth, like the safest cocoon.

"I love you too, Edward," I grinned.

OOOOOOOOOO

**Is everything okay?**

I smiled. Another text from Edward. I looked around the cabin, at everyone preparing themselves for the flight – people fighting with their overhead luggage, others staring out their small windows. A few rows behind, I could vaguely make out the cries of a baby. Poor thing.

**All good. Don't forget to give Brady another kiss from me.**

**I won't forget. I'll take another for myself too.**

**Cool.**

**Cool.**

I leaned into the headrest, closing my eyes. If I concentrated enough I could still feel Edward moving inside me this morning - making love to me slow and sweet, as if ensuring that when we both needed to, we'd be able to replay every moment in exquisite detail. I stayed on top of him for a long time after we were done, feeling him slacken inside me, laying my head on his chest and listening as his quickly beating heart slowed and slowed and returned to normal. All the while he stroked my bare back, up and down along my spine, kissing my hair.

**I can still feel you inside me.**

**Jesus, Bella, you almost made me crash.**

I frowned. **YOU SHOULDN'T BE TEXTING IF YOU'RE DRIVING!**

**You're right. Sorry. Last one. Love U. B Safe.**

OOOOOOOOOO

Okay, so I really tried.

I read the trashy novels for a while, but it just wouldn't do for me to get this horny this quickly when I wouldn't be seeing Edward for about six weeks, when he was due to come visit me. Fingers and a good imagination could only go so far. So then I tried the horror stories Jake downloaded for me, but that wasn't working out for me either. Finally, I tried to go over the brochures and information packet for the institute where I'd be studying for the next semester. It was an American institute right in the heart of Florence, and it sounded absolutely perfect, but oh hell who were we kidding? I'd never been one for delayed gratification, and the letter Edward had stuck in my back pocket was burning a hole through the denim. I'd wanted to be alone when I finally read it because I was pretty sure that the floodgate of tears that I'd somehow managed to hold back over by customs would totally burst once I read that. But like I said, me and delayed gratification? Not so much.

The first thing I noticed was how the clean, white sheets of paper even smelled like him; soapy and musky with his own special scent. My eyes were already stinging on the first line, handwriting too neat for a doctor. How long it would remain that way prescription after prescription was anyone's guess.

_September 4, 2012_

_My sweet, sweet Bella:_

_It's a little after three in the morning as I write this. I'm watching you sleep in our bed, tossing and turning the way you tend to do, pulling all the covers around yourself. Your hair is covering your face. It's taking all my strength not to get up from this desk and move it out of my way because I don't want to wake you, but it's blocking my view of your mouth and your nose and one of your eyes and in a few short hours you'll be on your way to Tuscany, and it will be too long before I can gaze at you sleeping._

_Okay, I moved it. You stirred, and I put my mouth on yours, but you didn't wake. You pout your lips so sweetly in your sleep, do you know that? Anyway, now I sit here and stare and try to write in between my gazes. Damn it, there you go tossing around and covering your face from me again. Three weeks later it still makes me cringe to think of how close I came to having to live without seeing your face – with knowing that I once had something, someone so perfect and I let her slip away. Was it God, or Providence, or Fate, or just blind luck that let me catch up to you, that made you listen, that helped you believe? I don't know, but whatever it was, I give thanks for you every night. I want you to know that._

_But my mistakes started longer than three weeks ago. They started one day in mid-May when the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen walked into my examination room and I made her the most indecent proposal I could've ever made. How did you not punch me in the face? And afterwards, how did you deal with weeks and weeks of my stupidity? How is it that you've deemed me worthy enough of having you here with me now?_

_These are questions I may never have answers to._

_Jake stopped by the hospital yesterday, and we spoke for a few minutes. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to spend the last few hours together before you leave for Tuscany analyzing my problems with Jake. Besides, I've got a feeling he and I are on our way back to mending anyway._

_He gave me the letter._

_He says he was going to give it to me the day he returned from dropping you off in Seattle, but once he told me where you were headed, I left so quickly he didn't get a chance. Afterwards, he needed his own space and time. I don't begrudge him that. _

_I have to tell you, reading your letter has been…hard. I'm almost grateful Jake didn't give it to me until now because I honestly don't know how I would've reacted had he given it to me when I was still unsure of whether I'd get you back or not. I would've still come after you; nothing would've kept me from doing that, but I have a feeling my desperation would've somehow been impossibly worse. My speed would've been far more dangerous. I wouldn't have waited for you to come out of that bus, but would've gone in after you. Basically, I would've embarrassed you a lot more than I already did._

_Knowing what you were really thinking in those early weeks, knowing how quickly you fell in love with our friends and family, knowing exactly how my words and actions hurt you, knowing the feelings you thought you had to hide, reading on paper how misplaced my ideals on the perfect relationship had been, reading and feeling your need for Jamie, and through everything, never being sure of my feelings for you nearly broke me. All these emotions were clearly described in your letter and once again Bella, I'm so sorry for so much. I know you don't want to rehash it; you are the glass is half full type of girl while I tend to see the glass half empty. And I'm so grateful for that. I'm so grateful for the light you've brought to my life, for your sunshine and for your forgiveness. But there are a couple of things keeping me up tonight, love - your departure tomorrow being the main one. Yet there are other things I feel I need to make completely clear to you._

_You thought I pitied you? I'll admit that when I found out what you'd gone through, even before you told me all the rest, I wanted nothing more than to wrap you in my arms and keep you safe – but that's far from pity. I wanted you. From the moment you walked into that exam room at the ER, I wanted you. I needed you probably just as long. So I won't deny that you saw those emotions in my eyes too._

_But you did read me wrong if you ever thought I pitied you, and I suppose that's as much my fault as anything because you weren't an expert at any of this. But guess what? Neither was I, Bella. I thought I'd been in love before; I thought I'd recognize it easily, but when I fell for you, it went miles beyond anything I'd ever known. It was like looking out for a seed when the entire damn field had blossomed while you'd turned around._

_Still, I blame myself. I should've put a name to it right away because it was always there, always love and admiration and awe and so many other things that to this day I still can't describe. I should've told you I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, but I'd been burned and I was so fucking scared to say the words aloud that I waited and. . ._

_And…well you know what happened because I waited. I almost lost you. We almost lost each other. That's why I don't want to wait to tell you these things._

_This summer was short, as summers tend to be. The Olympic region's days grew shorter, and those fateful summer nights began showing signs of waning. Evening breezes blew more insistently, and with increasingly grey skies came something familiar but long-forgotten in our corner of the Earth - silver clouds…and the promise of darker days to come._

_But you and I, we remained in the bubble we'd created for ourselves over those last few sultry weeks - completely wrapped up in each other. We failed to see the grey skies, or feel the cold breezes or even the drops from up above that signaled what was approaching. The fiery passion that burned between us consumed our every sense. Like children completely unaware of the whirlwind ahead, we stumbled into it headfirst, clueless of how that fervor, that commitment would be tested by the advancing storm._

_It was tested, Bella, but I think we've come out stronger for it. We know each other inside and out now. And we know that we need to tell each other everything. That's why I need to tell you that __I was never like that bird you and Jamie found as kids. I never asked; I never__**needed**__for you to set me free. I was__**happy -**__unequivocally, unparalleled, incomparably__**happy**__. And had I known then what I know now, had I realized how much you needed me to assure you of that without the shadow of a doubt, how much you needed to know that it was only__**you**__I needed not some stupid fairy tale, not the bells and whistles,__**ONLY YOU**__, then I would've shouted it from the highest rooftops. I should've told you, let you hear those three simple words because though I'd tried to show you, though I'd tried to express it through different actions, you craved those words you simply hadn't heard enough in your life. And I'm sorry. I'll always be so damned sorry that it took me so long to figure all that out; I'm sorry for how messed up everything got, and I swear to you, I will never let it go that far again. _

_Now I'll tell you about that little bird - the one to which you compared me, the one you and Jamie nursed as kids. In my version, **she** was a strong and beautiful bird, yet hurt and vulnerable on the inside. She was nursed back to health over one glorious summer, but one more thing was missing._

_So I let her go find that one more thing, because I **know** she'll fly back to me. I **know** this. And when she does, I won't keep her by my side with proverbial cages, with lies or expectations of perfection. I'll keep her with my love, with my truths, and with the promise that it may not be perfect, but it's ours._

_I love you._

_Edward._

OOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Translations for Bella's limited Italian:**

**_Buon giorno_ – good morning/good day**

**_Arrivederci_ – good bye**

**_Va fanculo_ – go fuck yourself**

**_Voglio fare l'amore con te_ – I want to make love with you**

**_Portami al tuo letto_ – Take me to your bed**

**_Dove si trova la stazione ferroviaria_ – Where is the train station?**

**Now _really -_ one more chapter left. Whether we have one epilogue or two depends on whether I'm able to fit everything into one update. We shall see.**

**Some of you have asked about a new story…**

**I HAVE started writing a new story, but I've got a few things I need to take care of first. It might take a couple of months. By the time I'm ready to start posting though it'll probably be completed, which will be a good thing because you won't have to wait for irregular updates. But it'll be a couple of months til that starts. In the meantime, I'll probably start tweeting a bit more (I've been neglecting my Twitter time because there just aren't enough hours in the day for everything) and/or you can catch up with me on Facebook.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' Facebook page is on my profile.**


	29. Chapter 28 - YOLO

**A/N: Dedicated to Florence, Italy – my favorite place in the world, birthplace of the Renaissance, and land of love. Lots of Italian references in this chapter. Translations are at the end of the chappy (unless the word or phrase has already been translated in the story itself); initials denote who spoke the phrase. **

**Thanks to my lovely beta, Michelle Renker Rhodes, for helping me with this monster of a chapter!**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter 28 – YOLO**

* * *

**BPoV**

_**Four and a half weeks later:**_

_Text to Edward – Tuesday, 5:05 a.m. Florence, Italy/Monday, 8:05 p.m. Forks, WA:_

**There goes that damn cock again!**

_Response from Edward – Monday, 10:03 p.m. Forks, WA/Tuesday, 7:03 a.m. Florence, Italy:_

**Sorry, love - hectic day here. Just got home from the hospital and brain's fried, so just to be clear, we ARE talking about a bird, right? **

_Response from Bella –Tuesday, 7:14 a.m. Florence, Italy/Monday, 10:14 p.m. Forks, WA:_

**Taking 'un esame' right now. Go to bed and rest. Will text u in the morning. **

_Response from Edward – Monday, 10:19 p.m. Forks, WA/Tuesday, 7:19 a.m. Florence, Italy:_

**Ok. Focus on your exam. I'll text you when I wake up. **

_Text from Bella – Tuesday, 2:05 p.m. Florence, Italy/Tuesday, 5:05 a.m. Forks, WA:_

**Are u up yet? If not, just text me when u wake.**

**BTW, I** t**old u about the cock: black, feathery,** **crows like clockwork. Ring a bell?**

**Had a long day yesterday?**

_Response from Edward – Tuesday, 5:09 a.m. Forks, WA/Tuesday, 2:09 p.m. Florence, Italy:_

**I was just about to text you. Yes, I'm up, and I remember now - the _bird_. Gotta tell you, I didn't sleep too well last night wondering about that. Load off my mind and yes, cocks are pretty punctual, love.**

**Very long day yesterday. Needed one of your massages - badly.**

**How was the exam? What class was it?**

**So which was it this morning, espresso or cappucino?**

_Response from Bella – Tuesday, 2:17 p.m. Florence, Italy/Tuesday, 5:17 a.m. Forks, WA:_

**First things first. Massaging u, running fingers through your nape, digging thumbs into your shoulder blades. Found tight knot! Digging…digging…ahhh…a little better?**

**It was the European Renaissance seminar. The exam went great! Focused on the Florentine contribution. The Medici were crazy, man – in a brilliant, artsy sort of way. **

**Had a late espresso with Charlotte and Pete after classes 'cause only 'turisti' drink cappucinos after 11 a.m. :) **

**Have customers. Hold on. **

_Response from Edward – Tuesday, 5:25 a.m. Forks, WA/Tuesday, 2:25 p.m. Florence, Italy:_

**Take your time, love. **

**Florentine Renaissance – your specialty. So have you seen "The David" yet?**

**And thanks for the great cyber-massage. Back and neck feel a lot better.**

_Response from Bella – Tuesday, 2:34 p.m. Florence, Italy/Tuesday, 5:34 a.m. Forks, WA:_

**OK. I'm back. That was a complicated transaction! **

'**Sei biglietti combinati e due biglietti singoli.' **

**Two hours daily of intensive Italian are paying off! **

**Ah, yes, the Florentine Renaissance – how could I NOT get an 'A' on that 'esame,' right? LOL.**

**And no, no "David" yet. We've talked about this, Edward. :) **

**Glad u enjoyed your cyber-massage. In 10 days, we'll be able to make it a real one. Can't wait. **

**Just found a big fat rubber band under my booth. Will use it to shoot at the cock tomorrow. **

**U headed for the hospital yet?**

**Miss you - lots.**

_Response from Edward – Tuesday, 5:39 a.m. Forks, WA/Tuesday, 2:39 p.m. Florence, Italy:_

**See, I was all ready to head for the hospital and then you went and texted your Italian, and YOU KNOW what that does to me. Now I need a few minutes…**

**Can't wait to see you, Bella. Glad you're enjoying your classes so much. I knew you'd do great.**

**I feel guilty; you should go see "The David."**

**Miss you too – a hell of a lot. **

**Okay, now I really am heading for the hospital. Will text you before I walk in.**

**And leave the cock alone. **

_Response from Bella – Tuesday, 2:44 p.m., Florence, Italy/Tuesday, 5:44 a.m. Forks, WA:_

**LOL. You must be uber-horny if my texting u about museum tickets is turning you on! Perv. **

**No texting and driving, but I need your help! Snuck out to the corner gelato shop for Charlotte and me, and need to know - Gianduia or **_**caffè**__**?**_** Text me quick (when you get to the hospital)!**

**And sorry, but the cock IS going down!**

_Response from Edward – Tuesday, 5:48 am, Forks, WA/Tuesday, 2:48 pm, Florence, Italy:_

**Regarding your first comment – you have no idea.**

**Standing outside the hospital now. Remind me what Gianduia is again before I make a choice.**

**And if you insist on fighting the bird, can we please call it a rooster? The image of you fighting a cock isn't sitting well with me.**

_Response from Bella – Tuesday, 2:52 pm, Florence, Italy/Tuesday, 5:52 am, Forks, WA:_

**LOL. Ur funny, and I do actually have a VERY good idea, trust me.**

**Gianduia is chocolate and hazelnut. **

**And fine, the ROOSTER and I are going at it tomorrow morning! **

_Response from Edward – Tuesday, 5:55 am, Forks, WA/Tuesday, 2:55 pm Florence, Italy:_

**You're not helping my situation with your comments, Bella. At this point I don't know whether to pity or envy that damned cock (rooster). **

**You bring it out in me, Bella – the humor and EVERYTHING else. You know that, right?**

**Definitely the Gianduia, love. **

**I've got to get inside, but first give me a taste… **

_Response from Bella – Tuesday, 2:58 pm, Florence, Italy/Tuesday, 5:58 am, Forks, WA:_

**You've got me with Gianduia dripping down my chin here! Are we still talking ice-cream?!**

**Here, take a quick lick, but don't be greedy! :)**

**Go inside now, Edward. Have a safe and productive day. **

**Ti amo.**

_Response from Edward – Tuesday, 6:01 am, Forks, WA/Tuesday, 3:01 pm, Florence, Italy:_

**Wish I could talk to you for hours. **

**Going inside now, but come hell or high water, I'll be home by nine tonight so we can Skype before you go to class. Need to see you, even if it is just on a screen. **

**Love u too - so much. Have a good day. B safe.**

OOOOOOOOOO

By the time I got off work, the Tuscan sun was setting over the arched brown bricks of Il Duomo - the fabled dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. The fading rays bounced off of the basilica's marbled pink and green panels, making the entire structure radiate with its centuries-old glory. All these weeks later, the cathedral still took my breath away with its buttresses and frescoes and timeless sculptures – a work of art in this tiny little town that was a work of art in itself. I sighed happily, making my way from the small hole-in-the-wall booth on Via Ricasoli - where as part of my work-study I sold tickets to the Galleria del'Accademia just a few feet away - back to my host home in the Oltrarno section of Florence. Strolling through the Piazza del Duomo, constantly full of tourists and Florentines alike, down Via Roma with its high end stores like Gucci and Miu Miu, I grinned at street vendors and shook my head at their calls of "Speciale solo per te, bella ragazza! Solo per te!" I was onto them now. My first week here I'd proudly purchased a beautiful, one-of-a-kind canvas print of the Ponte Vecchio for the 'speciale' price of just twelve euros! – only to find the same print for half the price just a few feet away.

Oh well. It _was_ a beautiful painting, even if there _were_ thousands of them all over Florence. I crossed said bridge now, with its dozens of jewelry stores still crowded at this time of evening with people from all over the world shopping and taking souvenir pictures of the Arno and the way the sun continued its decent across the sparkling – though admittedly green – waters.

The home of the family hosting me for the semester – the Volturis – was on the Via Santo Spirito, just across the bridge. The Volturis were a nice family; the father, Aro, worked late hours as a banker, his wife Sulpicia stayed at home, and their daughter Athenadora, or Athena for short, was a ten year-old sweetie. The three of them had jet black hair and naturally olive skin I secretly envied.

"Bella Bella," Sulpicia called out in her usual greeting when I walked into the kitchen. She got a kick out of the play on my name – beautiful Bella. "Come è stata la tua giornata?"

I'd heard this enough in the past few weeks so that I could respond without ending up with brain strain.

"Bene grazie. E il suo?"

"Molto buono," she smiled. "Ho fatto la pasta con pancetta e pomodori. Spero che vi piaccia. I hope you like," she added at the confused smile on my face.

Honestly, all I'd gotten from that was pasta, pancetta and tomatoes. But that was all I needed to know. Sulpicia added pancetta to almost every dish she made. She was uber-cool that way.

But nowhere near as cool as a certain Hoverer halfway across the world.

"Sounds deliziosa!" I exclaimed happily.

"Delizios_o_," she corrected me with a gracious smile.

"Delizioso," I grinned back. Darn feminine and masculine adjectives would be my downfall.

After dinner with Sulpicia and Athena, I helped clean up and spent a little time with them in their tiny backyard garden with twinkling lights. They had a couple of small olive trees carefully planted in large clay pots, and Athena and I kept sneaking olives off of them until we got busted by Sulpicia. She scolded us in her quick Italian, which totally went over my head.

"Mi dispiace," I smiled sheepishly. "I won't do it again. Vi prometto." I put one hand over my heart and raised the other. Athena giggled.

Sulpicia grinned. "Ragazza dolce, tu sei una fiamma, non è vero? Ho pietà il tuo ragazzo. Poor Eduardo."

I stared back at her blankly, and she simply laughed. Soon Charlotte texted me to see if I was ready to meet her and Pete at the Piazza Santo Spirito, just a short walk away.

I'd met Charlotte my first week here. She and I both worked at the Galleria ticket booth. She was from Florida, blonde and pretty and a couple of inches taller than me. Through her I'd met Pete. He was Texan, I think, kind of tall, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Like me, Charlotte was a Lit major on her last semester. Pete, a Philosophy major and two years older than us, still had a couple more semesters to go. They were cool and friendly, and though they spoke fluent Italian and had known each other for over a year, never made me feel like an outsider. I wasn't sure yet what exactly their relationship to each other was; some days they'd act like a couple of good friends, other days they were all touchy and feely. I got the impression there was more there – or maybe more accurately, Charlotte certainly wanted it to be more. I had a feeling Pete wasn't sure yet what he wanted; relationship-wise or otherwise. He reminded me of someone, though I couldn't put a finger on whom exactly; he was kind of quirky, spoke before thinking, had a habit of breaking into dance in the middle of the street, and rapped every other phrase he spoke.

The Piazza Santo Spirito was a square pretty much removed from the main tourist areas of Florence – full of towering old trees and a marble stage and an octagonal fountain that flowed gently in the evenings. It was a popular hang-out for students, both Italian and American, with little cafes and bars surrounding it. A few nights a week, we'd gather here on the steps of the stage and enjoy gelatos or pizza or wine, and just chill while the wandering street musicians entertained us. Half of the time, Pete would end up being part of the entertainment. Then Charlotte and I would just look at him and break out laughing.

"Bella, Bella, just wanted you to know, tomorrow we're chillin' down at Lucca, do you wanna go?" Pete asked while we enjoyed the evening breeze blowing through the Piazza.

I laughed. "Thanks, Pete, but I think I'll pass."

He frowned. "Was it the rap? Was it too cheesy?"

"It _was_ cheesy," I chuckled, "but that's not it."

He smirked before grinning. "Should we leave it for Thursday? We can go Thursday if that's better."

I shook my head. "Thanks for the invite, but no."

This time, his frown was more pronounced. "Bella, you haven't left Florence since you got here! You've gotta see Lucca, babe, and Siena, and holy shit Pisa with that freaky leaning tower!" he laughed.

"I'll see'em all eventually." I sighed. "Soon."

Yes, I was waiting for Edward to explore all those places together. I hadn't even seen "The David" yet, and I worked selling tickets for the museum where he was housed! I wasn't the slightest bit ashamed to admit that I was waiting to compare Michelangelo's work of art with my real-life walking sculpture. I loved Edward; I wanted to share the rest of Tuscany with _him_.

So sue me bitches.

I may have told them as much – though in nicer words, of course.

"Penso che è così dolce! I think that's so sweet!" Charlotte chortled loudly. The three plastic cups she'd already downed of the Tuscan wine bottle we were all sharing may have had something to do with that. "Have you read his letter again today?"

I grinned unabashedly while we clicked cups. "'Course I have. I read it tutto giorno!" We both laughed.

Pete pursed his lips. "Che peccato cazzo." His face brightened quickly again though. I'm telling you, he reminded me of _someone. _"So have you given any thought to what Charlotte and I were talking to you about the other day? YOLO is the motto so you gotta explore, when you got Europe as your backyard there's no need to be bored!"

I burst out laughing. "Pete, you are sucky, sucky, _suckyyyy!_" I sopranoed. Charlotte spilled wine all over herself from cracking up so hard.

A few days ago, Pete had decided out of the blue that he was going to take next semester off and go explore Europe. He said he'd been on this continent for almost three years now and though he'd gotten as far as France and England, had yet to see Greece, or Germany, or Belgium, or Spain. He went on and on about the cultures and the sights and the philosophy of YOLO (the motto Pete lived by). He almost had Charlotte convinced to take off for the continent rather than returning home in the early spring.

"I may suck, but that's not an _answerrr!_" Pete altoed back.

I smirked and shook my head because the dude could not alto for his life.

"Not takin' no for an answer, babe. YOLO." He raised his plastic cup to the sky before emptying it.

My phone buzzed just then. When I saw the short text from Edward, my body warmed all over. It was 9:15 pm here, which meant it was only 12:15 pm in Forks.

**Hey, finally managed a short break. What are you up to?**

My fingers worked quickly.

**Chillin at the Piazza with Charlotte and Pete and getting a philosophy lesson on the meaning of YOLO. I think Jamie would've liked this lesson.**

**YOLO – You Only Live Once. Is that part of your studies? Who's teaching this lesson?**

I chuckled**. NOT part of my studies. It's Pete's motto - long story.**

"Is that Edward?" Charlotte slurred slightly. "Tell him I said ciao!"

**Charlotte says hi,** I texted, because only _I_ spoke to him in Italian. **What are you having for lunch?**

Edward's responding text came quickly on the heels of mine.

**Tell her I said hi as well. And you tell me about lunch; I help you with your gelato, you help me with my lunch - turkey burger or grilled chicken sandwich? **

**By the way, I wouldn't put too much stock into that YOLO business – sounds like a load to me.**

Hidden meaning: Keep the fucker at arm's length. 'By the way' my ass, I snorted as I texted back.

**Don't worry, Edward, I won't. Have the grilled chicken; turkey sucks. We still Skyping later?**

Another quick response.

**Chicken it is. Oh yeah, definitely Skyping later. Be careful. Please.**

OOOOOOOOOO

The cock crowed at 5:05 am – on. the friggin'. dot.

I groaned and turned over on my stomach, burying my head under the pillow. The damned cock went on and on with his morning alarm - so damn lucky I couldn't remember what I'd done with the rubber band.

But then my eyes popped open.

5:05 am here meant 8:05 pm in Forks. Maybe Edward was off work by now. He'd been working so late for the past couple of weeks that between our hectic schedules and the nine hours I had on Forks, we hadn't had a chance to Skype much.

Our windows for communication were pretty limited, with the time difference and his work schedule and my work _and_ class schedule. When I went to class in the mornings he was just getting to bed. When I went to work in the early afternoons, he was just getting up for work himself. When I got off work in the early evenings, and when I went to bed, he was still in full swing at the hospital. We had a few minutes if he got an early lunch break, and then if he happened to get home early enough from work, before I was at my morning classes. It wasn't an easy arrangement, but we were both doing what we needed to do. I needed to finish my degree, and the truth was that I'd _wanted_ to come finish it in Florence. And as much as Edward may have denied it, he needed to learn to breathe on his own again. Together we held on to the promise of that long weekend at the end of the month. Only nine more days. We'd make this work.

I played with the ring hanging off of my pretty necklace, soothed by its now familiar warmth against my neck. No, I couldn't deny that I was enjoying Florence - very much - but Jesus, I missed Edward.

I moved to the pretty laptop Edward gave me before my coming to Tuscany.

**Edward, are you off work yet? If not, I guess we'll text this afternoon. My afternoon, not yours. Your morning. You know what I mean. Miss you.**

I waited. Five minutes turned to ten and ten turned to twenty.

Half an hour later, I went back to bed and lay on my side, watching the orange sun send deepening rays filtering through the blinds on my window and blinking back my disappointment. In nine days I'd have him here, and then we could go to Lucca, and Pisa and go see the David in all his naked glory, and-

My lap top beeped and Edward's face appeared on the screen. I stubbed my toe on the way to the chair, but really, whatever, because Edward was here. Well, on the laptop. He looked tired and rushed, like he'd just run a marathon in his scrubs. His hair stood on ends - I could only imagine how many times today he'd raked his hands through it - but man oh man was he a perfect sight.

"God, you look so beautiful," he sighed, echoing my thoughts exactly and making me smile back the moisture at the corners of my eyes.

"So do you," I chuckled, trying to smooth down my hair.

He watched me through the screen. "I wish I could do that for you right now."

"It's a friggin' mess," I grimaced. "You'd never be able to pull your fingers out."

He smirked. "That would be the idea."

"I wish I could flip your lip," I retorted.

"I wish you could too," he admitted with a sheepish smile.

"For a sec there I didn't think you were going to make it."

He smirked again. "Didn't I tell you, hell or high water?"

"Yeah, you did," I grinned. "So what's up?"

We talked about anything and everything, but then it was time for me to get ready for class.

"I know, love, you've got to get ready for class," he said, reading my mind again.

"Nine more days," I said softly.

His eyes sparkled. "Yes, nine more days. Should I pack your jersey with me, or leave it home?"

"Leave it home. I'm sure it'll be safe there," I grinned back.

"It's safely under my pillow."

I'd actually asked him to keep it under _my_ pillow, but I wasn't about to complain.

"Give everyone my love, and tell Rose I'm texting her Sulpicia's recipe for Pasta with pancetta and tomatoes that she has _got_ to serve at the Grill."

Edward chuckled. "I'll give her the heads up. Love you, Bella."

"I love you, too, Edward. We'll talk later."

And with that, we signed off.

OOOOOOOOOO

Wednesday morning after classes, I went to see my therapist. Yes, the therapy condition followed me all the way across the ocean, but Dottora Angela Maietta, though a very serious woman who wore dark glasses that matched her dark eyes and dressed in what were obviously the latest fashions from Milan, was really kind. I'd met with her twice – this would be my third visit – and during the last visit I'd told her about my parent's and Jamie's deaths. I'd told her how…angry I sometimes felt at my parents for leaving me behind, though deep inside I knew it made no sense. I told her how I'd kept Jamie with me for so long so I wouldn't feel alone; how afraid I'd been to let anyone else in, _really_ let them in, because I didn't want to love and lose again. And then I told her about Edward.

She spoke calmly but compassionately, in an Italian-accented English that somehow soothed me. She said that admitting these things was a big first step. (I guess she'd seen my file). That we'd work on everything at a pace I felt comfortable with. That she was confident that by the time our sessions were over I would have dealt with a lot of my concerns. That I'd be just fine.

OOOOOOOOOO

I texted Edward that evening – during his short lunch break - about my visit to the Doctor.

**I like her a lot more than I liked my other therapists.**

**Maybe you're just at a place now where you can open up a bit more,** he texted back.

I knew he didn't mean just in a physical sense.

**Maybe - because of you.**

**I will always do my best to be there for you, Bella - always.**

**I know you will, Edward**. **Eight more days. Can't wait to see you.**

**Me neither, love.**

When I tried to Skype with him early the next morning – his late evening – he was a no show. So I kept right on counting down the days.

OOOOOOOOOO

Thursday afternoon, I was alone behind my small ticket counter, watching a group of German tourists peruse the stack of souvenir books and postcards on the other side of the booth. Since it was pretty late in the day, most tickets to the Galleria had already been sold. When the group walked out without purchasing anything, I turned my attention back to the text book balanced on my knees.

I'd tried texting Edward again earlier that afternoon, at about six am his time, with no luck, and then I'd gotten a bit worried, because usually by six Edward was up. So I'd waited an hour or so and then turned to Hoverer; with all her hovering, if anyone knew where he was, it would be she.

"Hey, Esme, it's Bella."

"Hi honey! How are you?"

Esme enthusiastic greetings always made me smile - and roll my eyes at the same time.

"I'm good, thanks. I got you that venetian mask you wanted," I said enticingly.

"You did? Thanks so much, Bella! I hope it didn't set you back too much."

I rolled my eyes again. "No, it didn't. But it's very delicate so I won't mail it. I'll send it home with Edward when he comes to visit next week."

"Oh. Okay," she answered.

"Speaking of Edward, do you know where he is? I haven't heard from him since last night – well, yesterday afternoon to you guys."

"Oh. Edward. Well, I…think he said something about hanging out with Jake after work yesterday. They probably got in really late."

I knew Jake and Edward had finally gotten past all the weirdness from a couple of months ago. It gratified me to hear that they'd been hanging out again. But I was still worried.

Jeez, I was turning into Hoverer over here.

"But he didn't text me this morning either – last night to you Forks-folk."

"You know how men are," Esme reassured me. "He probably overslept and had to rush into the hospital."

"Yeah, I guess…" I trailed off.

Esme chuckled softly. "Do you want me to try to get a hold of him and tell him to give you a call?"

"No," I muttered. "I'm sure he'll call me tonight anyway – during his afternoon break."

"I'm sure he will," she consoled me in that calm and easy tone of hers. "Take good care of yourself, honey. We love you."

"Yeah, me too." Someday I'd hopefully be able to say the actual words to her.

"Bye, Bella."

"Bye."

OOOOOOOOOO

For the next hour or so I kept myself busy between my textbook and the few random customers strolling in late in the day. But by about five-thirty I was feeling antsy.

**Edward, I know you're probably busy, but send me a quick text if you can, just to let me know you're ok**.

After about fifteen minutes, I hadn't gotten a response.

I tried to focus on the verb conjugations before me, but soon found myself digging into my wallet and placing Edward's letter over the annoying text, and proceeded to read it all again – from beginning to end.

"Sei sempre leggendo questo. You're always reading that. Perché?"

I jumped a little and then grinned up at Peter, who had half of his body resting lazily against the clear plastic booth. I thought through my limited Italian carefully before phrasing my answer.

"Perché è la mia lettero d'amore."

"Letter_a_, babe," Pete corrected.

"Lettera," I smirked.

He pursed his lips. "Ti manca?"

I frowned.

"You miss him?" he translated.

I nodded. "Mi manca molto."

Pete rolled his eyes. After a few seconds, he let out a heavy breath. "Lui è un ragazzo fortunato."

I shrugged. Maybe he was. "_Io_ sono una ragazza fortunata." Of that, I was positive.

He stared at me. "You're not coming on our European tour, are you, Bella?"

"No, Pete. I'm not," I smiled.

"YOLO?" he tried once more.

"NOLO," I chuckled and shook my head.

He stared at me for a few more seconds before pushing himself off of the booth. "Arrivederci, Bella. Hey, you gonna hang out at the Piazza later?"

"I'll let you know. Arrivederci, Peter."

When Pete turned to leave I looked back down, vaguely hearing his "scusi" as he bumped into someone in his haste.

I stared at the letter; wrinkled at the corners by me; nice and neatly written by Edward. See, the thing was, I didn't need impulsivity – I had more than enough of that. I needed someone to temper me, to ground me, to give me something to hold on to.

In my memory, I heard his words again clearly, _'Hold on to me.'_

I smiled and toyed with my necklace; my left ring finger slid halfway into the priceless band hanging off of it, swinging like a pendulum from side to side while I studied my letter once more.

"E 'una lettera d'amore, you say?"

I drew in a sharp breath. My heart jumped in a way it hadn't done so in weeks. But I kept my eyes down, afraid to look up, afraid to be wrong - and nodded slowly.

"Una lettera d'amore da parte di chi?"

The tempo of his velvet voice made my eyes sting. My poor Italian kept me from responding right away.

"Da parte di l'uomo che amo more than anything."

"Well then, your friend was right. Lui è un uomo _molto_ fortunato."

I looked up then, into the most beautiful and expressive emerald eyes on the face of this planet. They looked tired, amused and sparkled with mirth.

"E io sono una ragazza _molto_ fortunato- I mean, fortunat_a_," I grinned.

And never having been one for delayed gratification, I flew to the booth's door, threw it open and jumped into Edward's waiting arms. He picked me up and crushed me against him and I wrapped my arms and legs around him, inhaling his scent so deeply I thought my lungs might burst. When I lifted my head he pressed his mouth to mine hard and unapologetically, kissing me over and over. And then we both sighed; content, relieved, because despite the fact that we were thousands of miles from home…home was exactly where we were.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

Was it conceivable that a heart could actually burst with happiness? As a doctor, I knew it to be medically impossible, but damn if it didn't feel as if at any moment, mine would do just that.

Somehow she'd grown even more beautiful in the past few weeks; her hair, her eyes, her skin, her warmth – beautiful; perfect.

I'd worked my ass off for the past few weeks to pull this weekend off; to get to her one week earlier than we'd originally envisioned. Sixteen to eighteen hour days; eighty hour weeks – pushing the limits of what I was allowed as a first-year resident. I'd been traveling for eighteen hours - if you started counting when I'd left Forks. And the whole while it'd been so difficult not to tell her; to listen to the longing in her voice, to see it in her eyes and not let her know that I'd be there soon. But I'd wanted to surprise her and in the first five seconds of laying eyes on her, I'd known it had all been worth it.

I still couldn't believe that asshole had been making a pass at her when I'd reached the small store. I'd stood there, burning at the longing in his voice, the envy when he called me a lucky guy - ready to knock him and his bullshit YOLO philosophy the fuck out. But the way Bella had handled it…knocking him out hadn't even been necessary. She'd been so confident; so sure of our love that it had filled _me_ with security, with pride to stand there and watch her. It'd been just what I'd needed after a hard, tiring day; after the long weeks. So instead of being pissed, I'd sort of pitied the asshole actually as he'd walked out of the store, all sad and rejected.

I'd still given him a hard shove though, just for good measure – asshole.

But whatever – she was in _my_ arms now, and that was all that mattered.

Bella came up for air. "You surprised me!" she chuckled. "You really surprised me!"

"I did," I snorted back smugly. "I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pull it off, especially when I spoke to my mom a short while ago and she told me you'd called asking for me – all worried," I smirked.

She smirked back. "Ah, so Hoverer was in on it all along!"

I laughed, and then I just gazed at her. "Bella," I grinned, wordless and breathless.

"Edward," she answered back, gazing at me just as wordlessly, chest heaving, soft breasts pressed up tightly against me. I realized we were at her place of work and that at any moment a customer could walk in, but I couldn't find it in me to care enough to put her down.

"Is this okay?" I forced myself to ask.

"This is more than okay," she breathed dreamily, eyes locked on mine. Then she blinked. "Oh! I'm at work!" she chuckled. "I guess I should climb off of you!" And then she broke out into those beautiful fits of laughter that I'd missed so much, her chocolate eyes sparkling with joy.

I set her down.

Turned out, it was closing time anyway. Bella quickly closed up, and together we walked through the old streets of Florence, over cobbled roads I'd wandered through less than half a year ago, angry and wounded. Now I trekked those same streets with Bella, holding her close to my side, reveling in the heat and energy and excitement that flowed off of her in waves. Like my own personal tour guide, she pointed out sights of interest; not only Florence's, but her own – where she had her morning cappuccinos, her favorite gelato spot, where the pigeons gathered at noon for feeding, where she and Charlotte (and that fucker Pete, sometimes) chilled in between classes and work. I took it all in – seeing it all through her eyes.

"I'll bring you back and show it all to you in more detail, but I want you to meet Sulpicia and Athena!" she exclaimed brightly, leading me onto the Ponte Vecchio. The sun was setting over the river, beyond the thatched, red-roofed homes way up on the green Tuscan hills, and halfway across the bridge I stopped her and crushed her against me again; holding her there while the sun disappeared behind the hills and savoring the tingle up my spine I hadn't felt in weeks. She held on just as tight.

OOOOOOOOOO

The dark haired woman and her daughter eyed me intently as Bella made the introductions.

"Sulpicia, Athena, this is il mio ragazzo, Doctor Edward Cullen," Bella introduced proudly.

"Ah, Dottore Cullen," Sulpicia sang, stretching out a hand, "è un piacere. A pleasure," she translated.

"The pleasure is all mine," I grinned, "E si prega di chiamare me Edward."

"Eduardo, then," Sulpicia agreed with a raised brow. I smiled down at Athena. She simply blinked.

"Eduardo, La tua ragazza è un tesoro, ma lei è un po 'pazzo, non è vero? Eppure, la mia famiglia e mi piace averla con noi. Spero che si sono preparati, perché un giorno vi darà bella ancora bambini molto vivaci. Pensi che sarà preparato? Do you think you will be prepared?" she asked.

"Non so se sarò mai essere pronti per qualcosa di così meraviglioso," I chuckled, "ma come ho detto a Bella, farò sempre del mio meglio."

I looked over at Bella. She grinned between Sulpicia and I, wide-eyed - and obviously lost.

"Nice Italiano," Sulpicia complimented.

"Mia madre è per metà italiano," I informed her proudly.

"Ah," she nodded.

"Alrighty then," Bella clapped her hands. "While you two continue with that, I'm just going to go and get a few things ready for the next few days."

For the next three nights, Bella and I would be staying at a hotel.

OOOOOOOOOO

We made one more stop, at the Piazza Santo Spirito to meet Charlotte and Peter.

I'd rather not go into Charlotte's reaction, though Bella seemed to get a kick out of it.

Pete's eyes grew wide when he recognized me from outside of Bella's ticket booth. "Oh!" he exclaimed, "I think we may have bumped into each other earlier." He rubbed his shoulder absently.

"Yes, I think we may have," I smirked. And then I watched as every last remaining shred of possible hope faded from his eyes as he watched the way Bella held on to me, the way we held each other.

"Are you guys going to hang with us for a while?" Charlotte asked.

"No!" Bella answered quickly, much to my relief. Not only was I exhausted, I really wanted to get her alone. Alright, yes, I was horny as hell, exhaustion be damned.

But perhaps she didn't feel the same. Maybe she'd just want to cuddle tonight, and work up to making love again. And that would be fine, I consoled myself. Maybe tomorrow morning, before her classes-

She glanced at me sideways, a mischievous grin on her sweet face.

I snorted to myself and gripped her hand tighter. This was my Bella; beautiful, caring, free-spirited and _passionate_. We wouldn't need to work up to it. And knowing that made it both easier and more difficult to wait for tonight.

We strolled slowly down the other way across the Ponte Vecchio, sneaking peaks at each other and chuckling like two people who'd just struck gold and could not believe their great luck.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Are you?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Though I probably will be…later."

OOOOOOOOOO

She was standing out on the balcony when I came out of the shower, in little black shorts and a tiny black tank top, gazing out at the bright moon over the hilltops. A beautiful sight to be sure, but being the man that I was - crazy horny and crazy in love with the most beautiful and curvy woman in existence - the moon over the Tuscan hilltops took a far second place to the way Bella's plump ass fit under those shorts, to the perfect hourglass figure under those tiny pajamas. The moon simply illuminated _her_ all the more for me. I couldn't stop staring and my penis couldn't stop growing. Still, for a few seconds I doubted again. Not us; I would never doubt us again. I doubted what I was presuming – what I hoped _she_ wanted right now. As if she sensed me behind her, her head whipped around. She was playing with her necklace, her ring finger locked inside my grandmother's ring as she swung it back and forth. She'd been doing it all evening. I didn't think she even realized it.

She held my gaze and chuckled impishly. "So do you need me to talk museum tickets in Italian again?"

When I first met Bella, she'd shocked me with her impulsivity, with the way she spoke her mind, with how she made me _feel_. Still, the truth was, I'd _always_ wanted her to stay, but I'd been too blinded by rigidity and wounded pride to ask for what I really wanted. And what I'd always wanted was her.

But somehow, she'd eventually brought it out in me.

I snorted because really, I should've known better by now. With a lot more confidence, I picked up the warm blanket at the edge of the bed and wrapped it around the both of us when I came up behind her.

She kept playing with the ring around her neck, even as I brought my mouth around and kissed it, along with her finger, and the collarbone under it all.

"I don't need the Italian. All I need is you."

She closed her eyes and nodded, arching her back, pressing her sweet bottom against my groin. Her hands tightened around mine, fisting the blanket. "You have me."

Her words warmed my chest. "Hold the blanket," I murmured, letting go and slowly trailing my arms down her sides, reacquainting myself with all her beautiful curves, with the ribs at her waist, with her smooth stomach, with the way she breathed in deeply when my hands cupped her full and heavy breasts, with the sounds she made when I played with her hardened nipples.

She moaned and I quickly covered her mouth with mine, our tongues mingling together, tasting; remembering. Her plump bottom pressed further into my straining erection.

"Oh, Bella." My heart beat wildly against her back. I rocked against her, throbbing, and continued stroking her breasts. I lowered one hand between her thighs, smiling at the soft downy there and without any fanfare I sunk two fingers deep inside, grinning when she cried out into my mouth, licking her lips and my own at how wet she felt. How soft.

"Are you ready?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"What do you think?" she countered huskily.

I let out a low chuckle. My Bella.

No, we didn't need fanfare - maybe later, but not right now. I lowered her tiny shorts with one hand, rubbing her smooth, round bottom and then dropped my boxers before crouching and sliding into her.

"_Ohhh…Bella…"_

"_Mmm…Edward…"_

I'd be lying if I said we took our time; that we went slowly. I thrust in and out quickly; insistently, reveling in the friction, in the way she arched herself all the more, her ass pushing into me desperately.

"I missed you," she cried, her face angled sideways to meet mine, tongues frenziedly retreating and advancing. "I missed you so much." Her eyes opened and closed languidly, full of love and lust.

I wanted to tell her I missed her too, not just for this, but for everything she'd brought into my life. For _her_ life; _her_ vitality…

But I could barely speak, I could hardly think. All I could do was gaze at her beautiful face, at the grin of total abandon, at the perfect 'o' she made with her lips when I hit just the right spot. Her heat engulfed me, burned me in the most mind-blowing way. So I gazed at her, but for one split second, my eyes strayed just to the left of her face and landed over the river beyond. I grinned.

"Bella," I whispered, "Bella…baby open your eyes."

She opened her eyes. I jerked my chin towards the river, and when she turned her head and gasped, I knew she'd seen it.

"You were right," I murmured, gripping her hips hard, finding her sweet, swollen spot. "You were right all along."

When she came, gazing at the bridge, I saw it all through the reflection in her eyes.

OOOOOOOOOO

"So what do you think?" I asked.

She stared, her arms crossed while her eyes appraised and examined every inch with pure discrimination. She bit her lip, lines of concentration forming on her forehead, eyes narrowed as she inspected it from top to bottom.

"I think it's the tiniest penis I've ever seen."

"Come again?"

"Well honestly, Edward," she shrugged, "I'm a bit disappointed. I mean it's beautiful and all, but I've seen much better." She brought her eyes to me, and then looked me up and down in the same manner that she'd just done to the sculpted work of art, grinning suggestively and much more appreciatively.

"Bella, no. You cannot possibly compare a work of art like this to-"

"Look at his penis."

I kept my eyes on her impish brown ones.

"Just look at it," she insisted, waving a hand in its direction.

"No."

"Edward," she pursed her lips, "just take a look at his penis."

"Bella, I'm not going to stare at the statue's penis."

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine, then. I'll describe it to you." And she went ahead and described "The David's" penis to me in perfect detail, right down to the shape and approximate girth.

"Like I said," she glanced down at my groin, "I've seen _much_ better."

I groaned while she laughed her mischievous laugh, and grabbed her in a bear hug, making her squeal. But then we simply relaxed, more than content in each other's arms.

She turned her head and looked up at what was arguably one of mankind's greatest works.

"I'm just kidding."

"I knew you were," I smirked.

"He _is_ beautiful," she sighed. "Look at the perfection Michelangelo captures of the human body, down to the protruding veins, the lines of muscle. The stance of his body speaks volumes on his self-confidence. His sinewy shape assures us of his vitality. The determination in his eyes, the fortitude to never back down. It humbles you to know that you're actually witness to such a masterpiece. You can see why it made Michelangelo one of the greatest sculptors of his time, and of today. It's absolutely breath-taking!"

I grinned down at her, still holding her close. "You are so passionate about your art."

"I'm passionate about a lot of things," she winked wickedly.

I chuckled. We turned our attention back to "the David."

Yes, she was passionate, and over one perfect summer, she'd brought passion back to me. I glanced down at the ring hanging around her neck, the one she constantly played with.

It had started with a stupid proposal. And then little by little, we'd figured each other out, and every day, we learned more about one another. And the day would come – I knew in my heart it would – when she'd be ready to accept the right kind of proposal.

"I love you, Bella, so damned much."

"I love you so damned much, too. _And_ your penis," she laughed.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? Epilogue coming soon.**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' on Facebook is on my profile page.**

**TRANSLATIONS:**

**Un esame **– a test. (B).

**Turisti **– tourists. (B**)**

**Sei biglietti combinati e due biglietti singoli**. – Six combination tickets and six single tickets. (B)

**Ti amo – **I love you. (B)

**Speciale solo per te, bella ragazza! Solo per te!** – Special price only for you pretty girl. Only for you! (To B).

**Come è stata la tua giornata?** – How was your day? (Sulpicia)

**Bene, grazie. E il suo?** – Good, thank you. And yours? (B)

**Molto buono. Ho fatto la pasta con pancetta e pomodori. Spero che vi piaccia.** – Very good. I've made pasta with pancetta (an Italian-style bacon) and tomatoes. I hope you like it. (Sulpicia)

**Mi dispiace. Vi prometto** – Forgive me. I promise. (B)

**Ragazza dolce, tu sei una fiamma, non è vero? Ho pietà il tuo ragazzo. Poor Eduardo**. – Sweet girl, you're a spitfire, aren't you? I pity your boyfriend. Poor Edward. (Sulpicia)

**I read it tutto giorno** – I read it every day. (B)

**C****he peccato cazzo** – What a fucking shame. (Peter)

**Perché?** – Why? (Peter)

**Perché è la mia lettero d'amore** – Because it's my love letter. (B)

**Ti manca?** – Do you miss him? (Peter)

**Mi manca molto**. – I miss him very much. (B)

**Lui è un ragazzo fortunato**. – He's a lucky guy. (Peter)

_**Io**_** sono una ragazza fortunata**. – _I'm_ a lucky girl. (B)

**E 'una lettera d'amore, you say?** – It's a love letter, you say? (E)

**Una lettera d'amore da parte di chi?** – A love letter from whom? (E)

**Da parte di l'uomo che amo more than anything**. – From the man I love more than anything. (B)

**il mio ragazzo** – my boyfriend. (B)

**Ah, Dottore Cullen, è un piacere**. – Doctor Cullen, it's a pleasure. (Sulpicia)

**E si prega di chiamare me Edward**. – Please call me Edward. (E)

**Eduardo, La tua ragazza è un tesoro, ma lei è un po 'pazzo, non è vero? Eppure, la mia famiglia e mi piace averla con noi. Spero che si sono preparati, perché un giorno vi darà bella ancora bambini molto vivaci. Pensi che sarà preparato?** – Edward, your girlfriend is a treasure, but a bit nutty, no? And yet my family and I love having her with us. I hope you're prepared, because one day she will give you beautiful yet very spirited babies. Do you think you're ready? (Sulpicia)

**Non so se sarò mai essere pronti per qualcosa di così meraviglioso, ma come ho detto a Bella, farò sempre del mio meglio.** – I don't know if I'll ever be ready for something so wonderful, but as I've told Bella, I will always do my best by her. (E)

**Mia madre è per metà italiano.** – My mom is half Italian. (E)


	30. Epilogue - Nella Gioia

**A/N: This is it, guys. **

**Thanks so much to Michelle Renker Rhodes for helping me out on this journey.**

**All characters belong to S. Meyer.**

**Chapter Song Rec: Get your R&B groove on kiddies: _Every Time I Close My Eyes_ by Babyface**

**Epilogue – Nella Gioia…**

* * *

**BPoV**

We drove through the wooded roads in a silence that was eerily complimented by the dark, moonless night. For a long stretch, the headlights were our only guide before a street lamp finally popped up ahead. Edward didn't turn the radio on; he never did when he was in one of these moods, and as much as I ached to reach out and turn it on just to spite him, I needed to prove a point - that _I_ could be as adult and level-headed as _he_. Blasting the radio would probably go against that point. Sticking my tongue out at him probably wouldn't be a good idea either because though his eyes were on the road, jaw locked tight, breathing even and measured, I could feel the scathing sideways glances he kept giving me. I could _see_ them because I was giving him the same.

"_Not as stealth as you think you are, mister_," I muttered internally. Then again, I probably wasn't either.

It was a short drive anyway - about four and a half minutes – a fact Hoverer just loved. Fine, I'll admit I didn't mind it either. Even as angry as I was – and I was pretty pissed off here, mind you – the pretty little house with the white stucco siding and the limestone elevation still made me sigh whenever it came into view. Mine. Mine and Edward's. Always.

Even if I did want to choke the ever-living shit out of him right now.

He circled into our driveway, slow and precise while I tapped my foot deliberately against the car floor. As soon as he put the car on park, I opened the door and let myself out, hearing him huff behind me. What - was I supposed to sit and let him open the door for me after what had just transpired? My satin heels click-clacked loudly up the driveway, echoing through the wooded landscape. I bent down and pulled them off my feet, flinging them against the wall when I entered the garage. They were fucking ugly shits anyway.

Okay, so adult and level-headed was quickly going out the window.

Before I totally lost it and turned around and flipped him off, I made my way into the house without a backwards glance, up the center staircase, letting my hair down and shaking it loose from side to side as I walked through the double doors to our bedroom and straight into the walk-in closet. Edward's footsteps, steady and purposeful, resounded up the stairs and headed my way. I reached behind me to undo the ridiculously huge and lacy dress and did my own huffing and puffing when the darn clasp wouldn't open. When I felt Edward's hands on me, I swatted them away, too furious to accept his help - even if I did need it. I could feel his eyes on me as I struggled and grinned wickedly to myself when the clasp finally came undone and the zipper slid all the way down, exposing the pretty white lace bra and thong and thigh highs I'd worn just for him but which he wouldn't be touching tonight. Out of my periphery I saw him lean against the door frame, his bow-tie hanging loose around his neck, the top buttons on his shirt undone. He raked a hand through his hair, eyes resting intently on me and my ass.

_That's right, mister. They're your favorite pair, and you're not getting inside them tonight. Yeah, I've said that before, but I mean it this time! _

I reached up and snatched an empty hanger, draping the dress over it, but the damn thing slid off. Groaning, I bent down to pick it up, pulling and pushing this way and that and trying to make the damn thing stay on while Edward removed his own shirt and tux jacket and hung them up easily enough on one of his own hangers; ditto the tie. Of course, Mister Perfect. I stomped my foot when my dress slid off the hanger yet again.

"Ridiculously-slippery-and-blindingly-shiny-fucking-ugly-piece-of-sh-"

"Are we going to talk about this or are you just going to continue abusing your wardrobe?"

"Oh, _now_ you want to talk?" With one final stomp I gave up on the dress and flung it to the floor, crossing my arms in front of myself and turning my back to him again.

Petulant? Maybe. But I wasn't sure I could face him without collapsing into a mess of tears.

"Yes, Bella," he said in a deceivingly calm tone, "_now_ I want to talk. I'm sorry if I didn't feel that Alice and Jasper's wedding was the appropriate venue for the type of discussion you wanted to have."

"I just wanted you to know what I'd decided!" I hissed.

"It would've been nice to know you were even considering it!" he hissed right back. "You can't make a decision like that in one night, Bella, _or_ on your own!"

Now I did whip around to face him, anger and more than a little hurt burning a hole throughout my body so badly I _almost_ didn't care that he was standing there shirtless or that the sharp 'v' of his well-toned abs looked so nice and prominent. I could feel my fury multiplying; the hot flush crawling up my throat, up to my face because he had no right to look that good when I was so irritated with him.

"I _didn't_ decide this in one night, Edward, give me some credit here! I didn't tell you that I was thinking about it because I didn't want to get your hopes up, but I sure as hell didn't think I was making this decision on my own! I thought it was what _you_ wanted all along!"

His nostrils flared, green eyes blazing in that kegelicious way that _still_ kept my pelvic muscles nice and strong. I closed my eyes for two seconds.

_Damn it, Bella, you're mad at him! You're mad at him therefore you cannot jump his bones right now!_

"You should've discussed it with me, Bella!" he bellowed. "_We_ should've talked about it regardless of what you thought I wanted! What about the months we've spent getting ready to foster a child? I thought you wanted _that_? I thought we'd agreed we _both_ wanted that?"

"THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, EDWARD!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, fisting my hair. I sat down heavily in the soft black leather chair, making myself hold his gaze. "It's been over a year since we started the application process. We've been to all the trainings. We received our certifications. But they haven't called," I whispered, my voice shaky despite my attempts to regain some control here. "It's not going to happen. I should've known they wouldn't give someone with my background a foster child." I shook my head and looked away from him.

I felt more than saw him walk towards me, the heat of his proximity already soothing me, and when he dropped to his knees and picked up my hand, lacing his fingers through mine, I let out a long, heavy breath through narrowed lips because no matter how upset I ever felt, one touch from him, and the world was better. One caress, and I was alive again. He gazed at my hand for a few seconds before bringing his mouth down and kissing it softly, his lips moving back and forth along the ring on my finger.

"That's a goddamned crime because they're denying some kids someone so loving and wonderful."

When he looked up and smiled at me, I smiled back.

"Doctor's wife or not, I guess I'm just not perfect enough," I grinned wryly.

He cupped my chin firmly in his hand. "Don't do that, Bella. Don't run from me or try to hide your pain. I promised you I'd always do my best to be here for you whether you're happy or sad, didn't I? You don't have to be perfect. _We_ don't have to be perfect. This isn't a fairy tale; this is our lives - _ours_. You and I, we're in this together. 'Nella gioia e nel dolore,' remember?" he smiled gently. "Always."

"Nella gioia e nel dolore," I nodded, remembering that night a little over eighteen months ago…

OOOOOOOOOO

_We were in the middle of a whirlwind ten day European tour. Edward had taken us for our anniversary – well, the anniversary of when he'd made that crazy proposal, and I'd decided to stick around. Still, that proposal, regardless of how inane, had weaved our lives together - our fate. It was cause to celebrate._

_The warm summer night had all the tourists fanning themselves with their city maps, and as we stood in front of the Trevi fountain, the overhead lights illuminated the statue of Neptune, god of the sea, in a breathtaking yellow glow. The sparkling waters of the fountain looked so tempting, flowing from rock to rock. _

_Edward dug anxiously through his pockets, looking for change to throw into the fountain because legend had it that it would assure us a return to Rome. My eyes traveled from him to the fountain and back, all the while swinging my finger back and forth along the ring hanging from my necklace. _

_And then it hit me. _

_I spent all day, every day, doing this; playing with my ring, rolling it around my finger. Why wasn't it just on my finger, if that's where I really wanted it to be anyway? Why was I letting an old fear rule my new life? Edward had promised that he would always do his best to be there for me and so far he had and I knew that he'd continue to indefinitely. I loved him. He loved me. It was that simple. _

_And so while he'd hunted through his pockets, I'd hummed a happy tune to myself and unclasped my pretty feathers and shells necklace, taken the ring off, and placed it on my finger, holding it up and admiring the way it caught and reflected the lights from the fountain._

"_Ah!" Edward had looked up, triumphantly holding a couple of gold-trimmed coins between two fingers. It was almost comical the way his jaw dropped, eyes growing wide when he'd seen me holding up my own finger proudly. _

"_Yeah?" he'd grinned from ear to ear. _

"_Yeah," I'd answered with my own huge grin._

_He'd swallowed thickly. "Now?" _

_I'd chuckled at the way his voice shook, full of barely restrained anxiousness. "Sure, why not?"_

_We'd run into the first church we'd found – not a difficult search in Rome – where Edward had explained to the priest that we wanted to get married. For what had felt like hours, they'd argued in quick Italian until at one point Edward had placed his right hand on his chest._

"_Padre, mi ha preso tre anni per convincerla a mettere l'anello al dito. Tre anni! Ho bisogno di sposarla subito!_ _Giuro davanti a Dio che io, Edward Cullen, non sono sposato. Non sono mai stato sposato e non ha né lei, Isabella Swan. E ci amiamo profondamente. I swear it." _

_The priest had finally thrown his hands up in the air, glaring between the both of us. "Impatient Americani! You wait three years, you can wait five more minuti while I at least google you!" he'd snapped, and then quickly walked to the back of the church._

"_But will he do it?" I'd asked Edward, shaking with excitement._

"_I think he just might," Edward had grinned smugly. But then he'd turned grave eyes my way. "Bella, are you sure?"_

_I'd wrapped my arms around his neck. "Uber-sure." _

_We'd kissed – kind of inappropriately if I had to be honest considering we were in a church – and then someone had cleared their throat loudly behind us and we'd looked over and into the eyes of the priest._

"_Siete pronti? Are you ready?" he'd asked._

_We'd both nodded._

"_Very well. But please remember that while you will be married in the eyes of God, this is not legally binding. You will have to make it official in your country."_

_And we did. Nella gioia e nel dolore. In joy and in sorrow._

OOOOOOOOOO

"I honestly didn't understand half of the vows I was making," I smirked now in the present, playing with my ring.

Edward narrowed his eyes.

"Just kidding." I smiled softly and then sighed. "You've kept all your promises, Edward. The ones you made that night, and the ones you promised in front of that bus in Cali. You're always here for me, even when I'm a pain in the ass. You don't let me hide or run away from things." I kissed him once on the lips. "You love me and honor me every day, in joy _and_ in sorrow. It _is_ as close to fairy-tale as it can get."

He grinned up at me tenderly.

"I'm sorry, you were right," I acknowledged, "I should've spoken to you, but it still doesn't change the fact that I want this…"

Edward looked down and sighed – a long, tired sigh.

"If you just don't think I'm ready-"

That was when he grabbed me by my shoulders and brought me down to the cream-carpeted floor with him, eyes burning again. "Bella, I've known you've had it in you to be the best at this since the first time I saw you with Brady; the way you hold him and play with him, nurturing and fun all at once. But I know it's something that frightens you-"

"I got past my marriage fears, didn't I? I even let your parents throw us that wedding – which was pretty over the top I must say. I _know_ I can do this, Edward," I pleaded. "You've made me feel safe; you've helped me believe in a future I never thought I could have. You've allowed me to want things I never thought I _should_ want."

He wrapped his hands around my face. "Bella, I just want to be sure that you want these things for _you_, not because you think they're what _I_ want."

I wrapped my hands around his. "Well, don't you want this? Don't you want to look into a tiny little face and see bits of both you and me in it? I see the way you hold Brady too, _and_ his baby sister. I see the way you look at Jake's little boy. Don't you want to hold one and know that you and I made it with _our_ love, with this crazy passion that we have?" I grinned through my ache. "You told me once, a long time ago up on the cliffs, that you wanted children. Don't you want them anymore? Don't you want them…with me?"

Even before the words were completely out he took one of my hands and placed it over his heart. "Feel that? My heart's about to race out of my chest, Bella."

It _was_ beating like crazy.

He gripped my other hand tightly in his. "Do you feel how I'm shaking? It's because I want this _so_ badly. I want nothing more than to look into a little girl's eyes and see the same wild sparkle I see in yours, or a little boy's face and see your impish grin. But you have to want it for _you_, Bella, not just for _me_."

"Is that what you think?" I smiled. His eyes searched mine anxiously. "Edward, as much as I love you, I would never bring a child into this world just to make you happy. _I_ want this, Edward. I want this for _me. For us._ Yes, I'm still a bit…scared," I confessed, "I won't try to deny it. But I _know_ I can tackle this final fear, as long as you're with me. I _know_ it's something you and I can figure out _together_." I took his hand and placed it on my lips, kissing it softly; imploringly.

But the thing was, as always, Edward had apparently just been concerned for _me_.

He nodded vehemently now, and I could _feel_ his excitement growing.

"I _have_ thought about it, Bella. Just in case, you know," he said, sort of sheepishly. "I know what your biggest fear is, love, and while there's nothing we can do to ever completely guarantee that nothing ever happens to us, we _can_ make sure that our children will always have family to watch over them, to take care of them if it becomes necessary."

"_How_?" I asked.

"We can put who exactly will be their guardians in case of our passing in our wills. It's what my birth parents did for me, what I'm sure your parents would've done for you had they had any idea…" He looked away from me then. "But you know," he mumbled, "my parents were probably just anal that way - most likely where I get it from."

I chuckled despite the admittedly morose topic of convo. "And my parents were probably as flighty as I am."

"You are _not_ flighty," he said solemnly. "Well, only the tiniest bit," he conceded with a grin. "Forks High School wouldn't entrust you as their student body's guidance counselor otherwise. And we wouldn't be having this conversation."

We held each other's gaze and then I chuckled. "This probably isn't a topic most couples discuss in quite so much detail when deciding to start a family."

"Then that just proves how responsible and well-prepared we are. There's nothing wrong with that," he asserted, refusing to admit how strange this really was.

I bit my lip, thinking through Edward's latest proposal. "Do you think we can add a clause stating who our children's guardians would be in case something would happen to the first set of guardians?"

"I'm sure we could."

"And another set on top of that?"

"If it would make you feel better, yes."

"I'd want Rose and Emmett, and Hoverer and Carlisle, and Alice and Jasper - in that order just because Alice made me wear that god-ugly dress tonight."

He chuckled. "I agree, and I'm sure they will too. We'll talk to them right away."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Are we really going to do this?"

"You tell me," he arched a brow.

I smirked. "I'm scared and I'm nervous," I admitted, gripping both his hands. He nodded solemnly. "But I'm excited at the same time."

His face broke out into the most glorious grin imaginable, green eyes sparkling. "So am I."

"So what do we do now?"

He smirked at me.

I chuckled. "Yeah?"

"Well, yeah. It's generally the way these things are done." He wrapped his hands around my hips and moved in closer. "Do you have any objections to procreating on the closet floor, Mrs. Cullen? Because with you in this get-up I really doubt I'll make it to the bed."

Eighteen months later, he still got a kick out of calling me his Mrs. - Honestly, I still got a kick out of hearing it.

"No objections at all, _Doctor_ Cullen, especially since you had this pretty, plush carpet put in here." I pulled him down and we fell side by side over the thickly carpeted closet floor, laughing; so different from a few minutes ago when I'd wanted to dismember him. But this was the way we worked. No, it wasn't perfect. We argued sometimes. We yelled and screamed and got it all out. Those moments of anger never lasted long though. They couldn't when we needed each other so much. Plain and simple, it was nella goia e nel dolore.

"Look at that. It looks like you _are_ getting into my panties tonight after all," I snickered.

He grabbed and quickly pulled me over him. "I never thought otherwise," he quipped while cupping my ass and giving it a good smack.

"Ow!" I squealed.

"And I'd hardly call this almost non-existent piece of material a panty," he smirked, running one finger up and down the thin thong.

I reached down and wrapped my hand around his erect cock – hard.

"Ow!" he cried, laughing at the same time. "Careful! Those are your future children in there!"

"Oh my God, they are!" I held his gaze and my heart thumped, full of giddy anticipation for where we were headed – in more ways than one.

"_I haven't taken my pill yet tonight!_" I sopranoed in my best opera voice.

"_That's good_," he sang back, grinning crookedly, and put his mouth on mine while his hands played with the seams of my thigh highs. For a long time we kissed and touched and then I straddled him and sat up.

"So we're getting pregnant now?"

"Well, not at this very second," he smirked, chuckling when I flipped his lip. "A couple of things have to connect first and I sure hope I don't have to explain the science behind _that_ to you," he teased. "Actually, it takes on average four to five months of trying for a couple to conceive, and eighty-five percent of couples take up to one year. So it may not happen tonight." He smiled impishly, green eyes glowing. "But you know what they say, 'If at first you don't succeed…'"

"Try and try and try and try again," I breathed huskily, bringing my head down and trailing my tongue down his neck and across his toned chest, feeling him contract under my hands when I started fumbling with his belt. Despite how much I did want this, the enormity of it all still made my hands tremble.

Edward wrapped his big hand around mine. "Relax, love. Chances are we'll still have a few months to get used to the idea before you actually get pregnant."

OOOOOOOOOO

**Two and a half weeks later:**

I squatted over the toilet, humming quietly while I made sure I held the stick in my urine stream for at least fifteen seconds.

"Yuck! Darn it!" I sucked my teeth in irritation when I got myself wet despite all my attempts to the contrary. Carefully, I placed the stick on a folded-up paper towel over the sink, and stared at it while I washed my hands and whistled tunelessly.

Patience and delayed gratification - neither had ever been my strong suit. No matter what, I would never be one of those women who walked away for three minutes; who covered their eyes while they waited.

I was the impulsive one; Edward was the level-head. When we were together...

I smiled. Well, we'd soon find out what came out of being together.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

She hadn't heard me come in. How could she over the racket she had going on in the kitchen? Pots and pans collided noisily while she moved around in her old Suns jersey, humming and whistling and singing her curious song - which sounded strangely like an out of tune...lullaby? I simply stood there and watched her for a couple of minutes.

"What's going on?" I finally chuckled, moving in to drop my bag over the table.

Bella whirled around and grinned – that beautiful grin of hers – the grin that always got my heart thumping because it usually meant trouble in one form or another.

"Hey, I've got someone for you to meet!"

I sighed, because I was tired, because I'd come home and wanted nothing more than to just relax with my wife, to beg her for one of her massages, and then to make love to her until we fell asleep wrapped around each other. I really didn't feel like meeting anyone.

But the way she grinned…I'd do anything to watch her grin like that for the rest of my life.

"Who?" I smiled, looking around the empty kitchen and beyond. I hadn't seen anyone's car in our driveway.

"Take a seat," she instructed, and then deposited herself on my lap, locking me in her gaze. She took my hand and kissed the tip of all five fingers before placing it on her warm stomach.

"Doctor Edward Anthony Cullen, meet Jamie _Cullen_."

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPoV**

She had my hair and my eyes, but Jamie was just like her mom from day one. I swear to you, though I know technically it was medically impossible, she looked up at me and laughed when she popped out of her mom – three weeks early. I assume she'd grown bored and impatient in the womb.

Anyway, yes, she laughed - pretty loudly I might add. Bella says she wasn't so much laughing as she was howling, letting us know that she was cold and pissed off and hungry, but she's wrong. Jamie was laughing. No one will ever convince me otherwise. Her grey-green eyes sparkled teasingly; the peach-colored fuzz on her head stood on ends in clumps. She was, bar none, the most glorious baby to have ever been born, and I say that objectively. Little James wrapped her tiny hand around my finger, and I could almost hear her sweet little voice.

"_You're in for it now, daddy. Now there're two of us."_

As it turned out, I'd unintentionally lied to Bella – time and time again. I'd told her that we didn't have to be perfect.

But now…well now we were.

OOOOOOOOOO

Late one night a few months later, I convinced Bella to go to bed early and leave me with our three month old daughter. I fed her the breast milk Bella had pumped earlier, which she sucked up eagerly, and then she and I played around on the sofa while the TV droned on in the background. When one of those cheesy commercial jingles came on, her eyes lit up and she started bouncing around on my leg, breathing all excitedly and yup, laughing.

"You want to dance, James?" I grinned, holding her small hands while she went to town, sweet green eyes firmly on mine. Her hair had grown darker in the past few months; peach fuzz had transformed into soft, silky reddish-brown curls. Bella said she got the curls from the first Jamie, as well as the rascal-like gleam in her eyes. It was a statement I didn't contradict because I knew it made her happy to see bits of her brother in our daughter, but really, had she never looked in the mirror?

"_Look at me, daddy! Look at me shake it!"_

I chuckled while I bounced Jamie higher and higher over my leg and she laughed that impish laugh of hers - right before projectile vomiting all over me.

"Don't ever tell mommy," I whispered while I cleaned her up. She gazed at me through those emerald eyes; laughing again. Always laughing. Just like her mom.

When our bouncing around tired her out she fell asleep, and I carefully placed her in her bassinet in our bedroom, and then hopped in the shower to wash her admittedly funky spit-up off of me.

Bella was sitting up on the bed when I got out; Jamie was still fast asleep for another three hours or so.

My wife looked startled.

"You okay?" I asked.

"We just got a call," she said carefully, "from Social Services…"

OOOOOOOOOO

The social worker sat us down and explained the horrible situation. The little girl was seven and had been orphaned overnight. She did have family, but they were out of state, and not much was known about their relationship to her. Social Services were trying to contact them, but the little girl needed a place to stay until her situation could be sorted out - one way or another. Then she left the room to go get her.

Bella leaned over to adjust Jamie's blanket over her car seat, making sure she was well-covered.

"Bella, are you sure you still want to do this? Our situation has changed a bit since we applied to be foster parents. You just gave birth a few months ago. I know you're still on maternity leave, but we've got our hands full as it is-"

"Edward," Bella simply said, then looked at me and smiled.

I sighed. "I'll help out as much as I can, you know I will," I raked a hand through my hair, "but though my schedule isn't as crazy as it used to be, it's still hectic, Bella. I just don't want you to be overwhelmed."

"I'll be fine. We'll _all_ be fine."

"How about when it's time for her to go with her family? The first year after giving birth is very volatile, Bella. It takes a while for your hormones and emotions all to settle down. I just don't want you to be hurt when the little girl has to leave."

"Edward, I can handle this. I can handle the emotions. I can handle the work. Besides, I've got you...and your mom. You know she'll help."

"I know, but I'm just not sure that we're at a place right now where this will work…"

The door opened.

I kept my eyes on my wife, gauging her reaction. I wasn't lying when I said I was worried about her, so when her lips trembled and a tear rolled down her cheek, I turned to the social worker, ready to tell her that we were sorry, but that we just couldn't do this at the moment.

And then I saw Maia.

She was small for her age, with peach-colored skin and long dark hair and equally dark eyes, wide and obviously frightened. She stared between Bella and I and the small car seat resting on the table, and then broke into tears. Bella moved to go to her, but I reached her first, kneeling to her eye level and taking her small hand in mine. In my mind's eye I saw my wife as she must've looked and felt as a little girl.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay, sweetheart. I know you're scared, but we're here for you and I promise, everything will be alright. You're safe now."

OOOOOOOOOO

A few years later, Maia and I were having lunch in the hospital cafeteria. Like her mother, she had a habit of coming to meet me at the hospital; after school, or in between breaks from her part-time job. Sometimes she'd bring batches of her mother's famous PBB&B sandwiches for all the staff, as well as her own _interesting_ creations. Sometimes she'd bring Jamie and Masen with her, and invariably Jamie would break out into song at some point, and my dark-haired and intense son would find some instrument to study or climb, and then Nurse Julia would yell at them through a smiling mouth full of peanut butter, telling them all to stay still and be quiet, that even if there dad was the chief-of-staff, this wasn't a playground.

They were all good kids though, and I say that objectively, even if Jamie and Masen were definitely handfuls. But their big sister Maia could always get them to behave. They worshiped the ground she walked on and she'd teach them life lessons. Every day I'd get an earful of "Daddy, look at what Maia taught me to do..." or "Daddy, Maia says that…"

Much the same way Bella used to worship the first Jamie.

But Maia was always more like me; more cautious, more reserved, though Bella made sure that she never retreated into herself because of what she'd experienced as a little girl – before we became her parents. It was tough for a while there. We had to fight some interesting, heartless characters to keep her. But with a mom like Bella, with a wife like her, well, _none_ of us were allowed to look at the cup as half-empty.

"Things happen sometimes," she'd say, and then look at me and grin. "Life doesn't always work out the way you planned it, but the reality is sometimes _so_ much better than the plan."

She was so right.

So every day I'd come home not knowing what to expect. I'd find the four of them holding an indoor camp adventure, or preparing pancakes, bacon and sausage for dinner, or just dancing and singing around under the stars. My free-spirits.

Anyway, Maia and I were having lunch in the cafeteria, and somehow we got into the discussion of that day, the day we met.

"I was scared, dad, and confused because I wasn't really sure what had happened, but then you knelt down in front of me and took my hand, and I knew that no matter what, I was where I belonged now."

Later that night, lying next to Bella in our bed after finally chasing Maia's boyfriend home and getting Jamie and her dolls and Masen and his trucks in bed, I told her about our conversation. She grinned that beautiful grin of hers and wrapped her hand around mine.

"I know _exactly_ how she felt."

OOOOOOOOOO

**A/N: Translation:**

"_**Padre, mi ha preso tre anni per convincerla a mettere l'anello al dito. Tre anni! Ho bisogno di sposarla subito!**__**Giuro davanti a Dio che io, Edward Cullen, non sono sposato. Non sono mai stato sposato e non ha né lei, Isabella Swan. E ci amiamo profondamente. I swear it.**_

_**Father, it's taken me three years to get that ring on her finger. Three years! I need to marry her now! I swear before God that I, Edward Cullen, am not married. I have never been married, and neither has she, Isabella Swan. And we love each other deeply. I swear it.**_

**Okay, we're done. Thanks so much to all of you who took this journey with Quirkella and her Uptightward. Special thanks to all those that reviewed along the way. I know I always say it, but I really do love hearing from you all. Hopefully you'll hit the review button and let me hear from you one last time on this story; let me know what you thought of their HEA. :)**

**Quick reminder: There's another story on the way, but it'll be a couple of months or so before I start posting. I've got another non-fanfiction-related project in the works, but once that's complete, I plan to return to FF! **

**If you want to keep in touch, tweet me, or visit me at 'Stories by Pattyrose.' The link is on my profile page.**

**Take care!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817 **


	31. Outtake Part 1

**A/N: I originally wrote this outtake as part of the Red Cross Fandom Gives Back for Hurricane Sandy Relief. It was a one-shot, but it was _looong_, so now I've broken it up into three parts. I'll be posting them all a day apart, so you should have it all quickly.**

**As always, Michelle Renker Rhodes worked her beta magic here.**

**All characters (except for the Cullen kids) belong to S. Meyer.**

* * *

**Indecent Proposal Outtake - OGBB, Cullen Kids' Style – Part I**

**(In case you guys need a reminder, OGBB stands for "Operation Get Bree Back," which is what Bella named her 'job' of helping Edward win Bree back, in the beginning of their relationship.)**

* * *

**BPOV**

"Guys, make sure you take your shoes off in the laundry room!" I called out, following my bunch into the house. "You know how daddy gets when he sees dirt and mud dragged all over the place!"

"He huffs, and he puffs," Masen answered, flinging shoes haphazardly into the big shoe bin in the corner of the oversized laundry room. One shoe didn't quite make it in, but my five-year old son didn't seem overly concerned. Maybe it was because Mase knew that no matter how much his dad huffed and puffed, he'd be over it in five minutes. When it came down to it, the kids had their dad wrapped around their little pinkies.

And they all seemed to know that entirely too well.

I set the grocery bags down on the kitchen counter, grinning quietly to myself at the sounds of yelling and laughing and screaming coming from the family room and beyond. It was Thursday evening; another week almost done with and the kids – along with me – were ready to ring in the weekend.

Still, I was the mom here - though seven years later it was _still_ hard to believe - and I had to remember the responsibilities that went with that.

"Homework, guys!"

Groans of protest.

"We finished our homework at Gran's house!" Jamie exclaimed.

"All of it?" I questioned.

"Yes!" they answered in unison.

"_All_ of it?" I repeated, using my best, most authoritative mom voice because I knew seven-year-old Jamie all too well. She may have had her dad's hair and eyes, but personality-wise, she was just like her namesake.

And Jamie 'The First' had _so_ never liked doing his homework.

Alright, fine, I'd admit it; I never much cared for it either.

"Jamie still has spelling to do!" Mase blurted.

"Big mouth!"

"Well, you do!"

"_Well, you do,"_ Jamie mimicked.

"Guys, stop arguing and finish your homework!" I heard Maia order. "Both of you!"

That quieted them down - quick-fast.

I grinned to myself. Maia always knew how to handle her younger siblings. And they in turn worshipped her, so if Maia said, "chill out," chill they did.

"Hey mom, do you need help getting dinner ready?"

I looked over and smirked playfully at my eldest daughter - because she moved like lightning! I had no idea how she'd ended up on one of the kitchen counter stools, yet there she sat, headphones in ears, music so loud I could feel vibrations tingle up my toes. But she was a teenager, and my being a high school guidance counselor for the past decade or so had given me some insight into how the teenaged mind worked. Music was apparently not so much a luxury, but a _need_ for the thirteen to nineteen-year-old set.

And hey, it wasn't so long ago I'd been that way myself.

Fine, alright! I was still sort of that way.

I grinned her way and with OJ carton in hand, started swaying my hips to the beat I could clearly hear emanating from her headphones. Yup, I could still shake it!

Maia gave me one of those teenaged eye-rolls.

I laughed. "Thanks, hon, but I've got dinner in check. Matter of fact, I'm making bacon tacos tonight."

"Ooh, Daddy's favorite," she grinned, popping the earphones out and resting them over the counter. "That's a special occasion meal. What's the special occasion?"

I bit my lip and opened the fridge to put away the carton. "No special occasion. I…" – I swallowed – "…just want to make sure Daddy is in a good mood tonight."

"Daddy is _always_ in a good mood - except when Mase tries to reverse engineer his medical equipment."

'_He may not be in such a great mood after I give him my news tonight,'_ I mused inwardly.

But outwardly, I simply sighed and looked over at Maia. At fourteen, she was growing into a young beauty. Dark, ebony curls spiraled all the way down her back. Her hazel eyes could at one moment appear olive and in the next black – depending on her mood. They stood out beautifully against her naturally tanned skin. She was tiny, barely five feet tall, even smaller than me! And though my hair was dark, hers was much darker.

No, Maia didn't physically resemble Edward and I, nor her brother or sister, but she was ours as much as Jamie and Masen were, and more importantly, she knew it. She'd always been extremely perceptive - a fact which had helped us all adjust much easier when she'd first come to us because she could sense how much we'd loved her from the very beginning. Yes, she'd had issues to deal with, and we'd helped her every step of the way, but a fear of having no one in the world – no one who truly loved her - had never been one of them. I thanked God every night that we'd been able to spare her that.

Still, if I had to be honest, her extreme perception could sometimes be a problem. Like that time she'd almost caught Edward and me in a compromising position.

And like now.

"Mommy," she asked with a nosy grin, "why wouldn't Daddy be in a good mood tonight?"

"Oh, no reason," I answered, trying to sound nonchalant because I did _not_ need her catching on to the anxious knot forming in my belly. I peeled off the bacon package's backing and threw the strips into the pan. "It's just…well, we'll be having company this weekend, and daddy might not be…too enthusiastic about it."

"Who are we having over?" Maia asked, that uber-curious tone taking over. She reached down into her pocket and flipped the volume off.

The kid was nosy – there was no denying that.

"Just an old…friend of daddy's."

"What old friend?"

I flipped the bacon over. "No one you know, honey. She left town long before you or your brother and sister came along."

"Oh."

I moved to the fridge to pull out the cheese, aware of the fact that though Maia wasn't saying anything, the wheels were surely turning like crazy in that curly head of hers.

"Is _she_ an old…_girlfriend_ of daddy's?"

I broke out into laughter so hard that I had to hold my stomach with one hand. Yup, the girl was perceptive alright.

"Yes, Maia, she was his girlfriend once, a long, long time ago."

Maia wasn't a little girl anymore, and I enjoyed talking to her, being her friend as well as her mom. She wasn't as…carefree as Jamie could be, or as intensely energetic as Mase, but her perception made her a great listener, and easy to open up to. She was my empathic kid.

Maia frowned darkly. "Well then, why is she coming over for dinner?"

I drew in a deep breath and walked over to her, reaching out to twirl one of her pretty curls around my finger.

"She's in town with her husband, visiting her parents for the holidays. You know Doctor Tanner - from the hospital, right?"

Maia nodded carefully.

"Bree is his daughter."

She snorted. "_Bree_? Isn't that like, a type of cheese or something?"

"Maia," I reproached, giving her a look and holding back a chuckle, "it's spelled differently. Anyway, I happened to bump into her this afternoon at the market with her mom, and…I thought it would be nice after so many years to just…catch up."

At least, that's what I'd thought until I'd gotten into the car to go pick up the kids from Esme's house - and had suddenly remembered some of the things that had gone down the last time I'd seen Bree, the last time she and Edward and I were all together.

It hadn't been pretty, that was for sure.

Maia watched me, reading my expression, calculating the little information she'd received and turning it from side to side. So often I'd watch her and catch glimpses of Edward: his mannerisms, the way he thought and processed things carefully.

Funny - how life and nature worked out sometimes.

Still, the mom in me couldn't help wishing she'd give her algebra homework as much concentration.

Her eyes widened when that 'AHA!' moment finally hit her.

"_So_…if you're trying to soften daddy up…that means he won't want to see her, which means things didn't end well between them!"

I raised a brow. "Maia."

She totally blew off the raised brow, ditto the tone I'd tried to use.

"Did _you_ know her before she left town, Mom?"

I crossed my arms in front of myself and grinned. "Yes, I did."

"Did you get along with her?"

"We may have had some…issues, but like I said, that was a long time ago. And like I always tell you," I said, switching over to mom mode again, "it's not good to hold grudges. You can't let past feelings rule your present."

'_You can't let old fears rule your present.'_

Those had been Doctor Maietta's exact words, a long time ago – in Florence.

Smart lady, that one.

Maia simply stared at me.

Then she reached down and flipped the volume on her headphones again. My toes tingled from the loud beat.

"Alright, Mom. I'll just go back out there," she signaled behind her with her thumb, where Jamie and Masen were hopefully doing homework, "and make sure the two munchkins get their work done."

I watched her turn quickly, ready to pop out of the kitchen just as suddenly as she'd popped in.

"Thanks, Maia, and by the way, did _you_ finish _your_ homework at Gran's?"

She sighed deeply, her back to me. "No, Mom."

I shook my head and chuckled. "Finish it now, then."

"Yes, Mommy," Maia grumbled.

And I turned around before the bacon burned because burnt bacon was pretty gross.

OOOOOOOOOO

**EPOV**

The scent of my favorite dinnertime meal drifted into the garage.

Bacon Tacos.

I snorted internally while I made my way into the kitchen - through the laundry room where Masen's small sneakers lay haphazardly around the shoe bin instead of in it. A trail of backpacks and school papers led the way. The scent of bacon grew stronger the further in I went, as did the voices of my wife and kids - and unruly shoes and backpacks became the least of my concerns. There was a time in my life when everything had order; when the thought of consuming tacos - bacon tacos, no less - would've turned my stomach; would've had me pontificating on clogged arteries and cholesterol levels.

That was all before I'd met my wife.

Besides, once the kids came along, my carefree, junk-food loving wife did a semi-one-eighty, and though she may not have necessarily transformed into a total fruit-and-veggie-toting-vegan-health-conscious freak, she'd become a woman who made sure her family ate well, who was in turn more concerned with what she ate herself - both for the sake of being a role model and to ensure as much as one could that we'd both be around for our kids for as long as possible.

Of course, there were still weekend treats - and lollipop consolations when the kids were sick. And no one could ever accuse the Cullen household of skimping on Halloween.

Balance. That was the secret to our family – in every way.

They were all gathered around the kitchen table, where Bella and I made sure to have family meals at least four times a week on those nights when I wasn't working late, or Jamie wasn't at gymnastics, or Masen at Pee Wee Baseball, or Maia at soccer...

"Daddy!" Jamie called out as soon as she saw me, jumping out of her seat and running into my arms. I lifted her up and planted a big kiss on her cheek.

"How's my little girl?"

"I finished _all_ my homework before dinner!" she exclaimed proudly, "And Mommy only had to tell me three times!"

"_Only_ three times? That must be a new record!"

She giggled. I set her down and picked up Masen, who'd wrapped himself around my leg.

"And how's the little man of the house? What have _you_ been up to?"

"I haven't been in your medical bag again, Daddy." He shook his little head. "And Mommy didn't have to tell me to put the stethoscope back and stop using the other thing like a hammer."

I smirked, fighting down a full-out burst of laughter because Masen _had_ to learn to stay out of that bag. "Didn't she, now?"

"Nope," he said, completely straight-faced.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Otherwise, I know a little boy that wouldn't be playing with his buddy, Jakey, this weekend."

His eyes widened.

I chuckled and ruffled his chestnut hair, setting him back down. "Go finish your dinner, little man."

"Hi, Dad. How was work?" Maia asked as I approached her and planted a kiss over her soft curls. She flashed her dark eyes up at me and I fought down a bittersweet pang, missing the days when she didn't believe herself too old and mature to run to greet me. But then her eyes sparkled and I knew that whether she ran to me or not, she was just as happy to greet me as my other two kids were.

"Busy, but productive, little woman." It was the answer I gave her most nights. In my line of work, there were days that didn't go very well, but thankfully this hadn't been one of them. Either way, I always counted my blessings: my family, my wife.

Speaking of which, my eyes finally trailed to the last person at the table, and as usual, the beautiful grin on her lips always elicited the same reaction from me.

Bella…

my life.

OOOOOOOOOO

"So what was tonight's special occasion?"

We were in our bedroom a few hours later, once we'd gotten Jamie and Masen in bed. I'd knocked and then stuck my head into Maia's room, where she'd been laying stomach down over her bed, thumbs moving quickly over her phone, headphones in ears.

"Lights out in half an hour, Maia."

She'd looked up and smiled sweetly. "Yes, Dad. Good night."

Forty-five minutes later, I could still see a strip of glowing, white light peaking out from under her closed door.

Teenagers.

"What makes you think there was a special occasion?" Bella whispered.

The lights were on low, just enough so that I could see the outline of her beautiful face, the shape of her darkened nipples standing perky on her perfect breasts. I ran my tongue around one and then trailed over to the other.

"Bacon tacos," I breathed, before taking the top of her mound into my mouth.

"_Ohh…"_

After almost a decade of marriage and seven as parents, our conversations during lovemaking spanned a wide variety of topics. We'd discuss the weather, how the kids were doing in school, Rosalie's latest apple tart recipe-

- how much I still loved Bella's body after all these years.

- how much she still turned me on; how much we still turned each other on.

- how much we still loved each other - and always would.

Bella played with my hair lazily while my tongue and mouth ghosted across her chest, while I nipped her neck, while I savored her lips, while she arched and rocked under me.

"Can we talk about it later?" she murmured, gripping my hair, brown eyes gazing deep into mine.

"Why can't we talk about it now?" I asked lowly, sliding one hand down between her legs and cupping her firmly in my palm.

She moaned and arched her back, pushing herself deeper into my hand when I slid a finger inside her. At the same time she reached out and wrapped her warm hand around my throbbing cock.

"Because I'm enjoying this way too much, and I'm afraid the topic might…deflate you."

"Feel that? _Nothing_ you say could possibly deflate me right now, Love," I groaned.

And to prove exactly how rock-like I was at the moment, I pulled my finger out and thrust my cock in.

We both groaned, in that way we'd learned to do so in the past few years: muffling our cries and moans into necks, mouths, limbs; loving quietly so as not to alert the kids to what was going on behind our locked doors.

Bella quickly wrapped her legs around me, pulling me in closer, digging her heels into my backside.

"_Edward…yes…"_

"Tell me why the bacon tacos?" I murmured, pushing slowly in and then pulling out almost all the way before sliding in once more. I knew she loved to feel my entire length moving in and out of her with slow, deliberate strokes, so that she could savor every inch.

"_Ungh…"_ she whimpered, hands pressing into my shoulders, down my back, fingernails scratching beautifully against my skin. "Later…when we're done…"

I pulled back and grabbed her smooth legs, placing first one, then the other over my shoulders. She wrapped her ankles around my neck, toes tickling my nape. I drove in even deeper than I had before, filling her to the hilt.

"_Fuck_!" I hissed at the sheer heat and moistness and flexibility that was my Bella.

"Yes, Edward, _yes_…" she egged me on. I thrust in and out, licking my lips while I watched her breasts tease me with their bouncing.

"You want it harder?" I asked, because Bella and I had no qualms or reservations when we were like this, completely open to each other in every possible way. I loved the things she whispered when we made love; the way she let me know what she wanted and how.

"Yes, Edward," she pleaded, "Give it to me harder - faster," she panted.

I grinned and complied, but after a few good thrusts, I stopped.

"No," she begged, "don't stop…don't stop…" She arched her hips and tried to move against me, seeking our friction. Fuck, it took herculean willpower, but I managed to remain completely still.

"Tell me," I commanded, moving with maddening languidness, teasing us both with the need for more.

"Edward, please…later…" she breathed, eyes half-lidded, chest heaving against mine.

I drove in h_ard, _rolling my hips around over her clit.

"God…o_hh_…_ Edward_…"

"Tell me," I repeated, pulling out so fucking slowly that I could feel every last bit of her warm walls contracting. If she didn't tell me soon, I was going to lose this god damn little game here - and lose it big time.

"_Ohh_…we're having company…"

I froze for one second, because that was basically how she'd first told me that we were going to be parents.

Chuckling, I lowered my mouth to hers once more.

"Is that your way of telling me you're pregnant again?" I lowered her legs back to my sides and started moving inside her slowly, because if there was another baby growing inside her, we had to take it easy. "Because if it is, I gotta tell you, Love, it's a surprise, but it's a wonderful-"

"I'm not pregnant, Edward," she moaned. "Bree and her husband are coming over this weekend..."

…and the moment was over.

She'd warned me.

My wife had warned me that whatever her news was would have the power to _deflate_ me - an event I heretofore believed impossible while in the midst of making sweet love to my Bella.

But it was possible. Oh yeah, it was apparently quite possible.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Part 2 up tomorrow!**

**Twitter: Pattyrosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by Pattyrose' is on my profile**

OOOOOOOOOO


	32. Outtake Part 2

**A/N: This is originally an Outtake I prepared for the Red Cross Fandom Fights Hurricane Sandy Relief. **

**FYI, this entire outtake, Parts 1 to 3, is just one big ball of fluff. **

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for **_**always**_** being so ready to correct my mistakes.**

**All characters (except the Cullen kids) belong to S. Meyer.**

**OGBB – Cullen Kids' Style Part 2**

* * *

**EPOV**

Saturday evening arrived - despite all my attempts to stop it.

And despite protests coupled with growling, objecting and downright complaining, my old girlfriend, Bree Tanner, along with her husband would be joining us for a home cooked dinner.

I lay on our bed in my boxers, head propped up by pillows, channel surfing through the TV. I was on strike today, even if Bella hadn't figured it out yet. Yeah, I was more than just a bit pissed off about the fact that I had to spend my weekend night hosting a woman I'd honestly never planned on seeing again. _And_ her husband.

Bella looked at me through the dresser mirror, where she'd been primping for the past few minutes, and raised a brow.

"Not that I'm not enjoying checking out your yummy abs through the mirror, but don't you think that it might be time to start getting dressed?"

I didn't answer.

She laughed at me.

_Laughed at me_.

"You are so damned grouchy today," she snickered, turning back to the mirror.

"As if I don't have reason to be," I muttered lowly. "First, I had to deal with the worst, most painful cock…_block_ of my life a couple of nights ago. Second, I've finally got an afternoon off, and there is absolutely shit on TV. And now," I scowled, "this _dinner_…"

She set her lipstick down and turned to look at me again, pretty red lips stretched out in one of those grins that had gotten my heart racing from day one. Yeah, I loved those grins, but I wasn't about to tell her so now. She was supposed to be my life partner, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, yet she'd ruined my Saturday. That had to give me the right to _some_ sulking, didn't it?

"You _don't_ have reason to be grouchy, Edward," she chuckled. "First, I believe we more than made up for your cock _blockage_ early the next morning _and_ last night. Second, you don't like watching TV anyway, and third, it's just dinner, for God's sakes. There's no reason to get so worked up!"

I held her gaze, and without breaking the connection, turned the TV off and stalked over to her. Instead of intimidating though, I only seemed to be causing her amusement based on the beautiful yet misplaced grin that only grew wider with each step I took.

My wife looked gorgeous - as always. She'd donned a pretty red wrap dress that we'd picked up during our trip to Paris, which fit her perfectly and showed off her still perky breasts and ass - as well as her shapely legs. Her hair hung wavy and loose around her face, and God I wanted to reach out and run my hands through the silkiness of it. She was a goddess, she really was. I remembered her telling me once, when we'd first met, that her mom was in her mid-forties and still looked good, so therefore she could easily assume that the same would hold true for her as she got older.

Of course, it had all been a lie. Renee Swan had been dead for over fifteen years at that point.

But I could definitely see where that statement _could've_ been true. Bella was thirty-five now, yet she easily kicked any girl ten, fifteen years her junior to the curb. She had the body of a twenty-year old and not one, single solitary wrinkle to show for her three plus decades on this earth.

Damn, it was hard to remain irritated instead of throwing her over our bed.

_Stay strong, Cullen. _

I lowered my head so that it could be level with hers, still holding her gaze.

"No reason?" I hissed. "No reason?"

The whole time, she just grinned my way.

I shut my eyes tight and drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Never mind the fucked up relationship Bree and I once had. That was nothing but…wasted time and you know what? I'm fine with that because it brought me to you. It's what she did to _you_ that day outside my parents' house that I _can't_ forget. _Or_ forgive." My hands fisted involuntarily. I dropped them to my sides. "And yes, I know I wasn't totally innocent in that cluster-fuck either, but-"

The grin on Bella's face shifted quietly into a tender smile. She reached out and wrapped one hand around my jaw.

"Edward, that's all water under the bridge, babe. And besides, if Bree hadn't made me think that you'd betrayed me and told her all my secrets, then I wouldn't have been hit by Ben's car, and then I wouldn't have had to beg Jake for a ride to Seattle, and you wouldn't have come back to your parents' house to find me gone. And then I would've never gotten on that bus to Cali, and you would've never had to chase it down, and I wouldn't have experienced one of the most exhilarating and _uber_-romantic moments of my entire life! Oof!" she fanned herself playfully. "I'm getting all hot and bothered just remembering it! Watching you pull up to that bus all determined-like, green eyes blazin' while my kegel muscles just sang with exhilaration! And then I met that lady on the bus – I forget her name – but it was she that helped me realize that I needed to go to Tuscany for _me_, not simply to get away from you. And then I fell in love with Italy and you took me back a few years later, and we got married there! And Doctor Maietta in Florence was the one who helped me realize that I couldn't keep letting old fears rule my new life, so you and I decided to make a family of our own and now we have Maia and Jamie and Masen! Actually, I think I may have to _thank_ Bree for the shit she said that day!"

Before I knew it, she had me chuckling.

I wrapped my hands around her face.

"Bella, I love you with all my heart and soul." She grinned, but my hands were wrapped around her face, so it was this sort of squished up grin that made her look adorable. "And I love how forgiving, and funny, and playful, and quirky, and downright _nuts_ you are sometimes. But I swear to God, if I hear you thanking Bree for _anything_ tonight, I'm going to totally lose it."

She burst out laughing.

OOOOOOOOOO

**Maia POV**

I didn't mean to listen in.

I was simply coming to my parents' room to tell them that I'd just seen Jamie and Masen from my bedroom window, in the backyard playing vampires and warewolves in the clothes they were supposed to be wearing for that dinner tonight – the one with my dad's _ex-girlfriend_.

And then just as I approached the door and raised my hand to knock – because I'd forgotten to knock once about a year ago and trust me no matter what age you are you're never quite ready to see your mom and dad tonguing each other down while your dad gropes your mom's ass – when I heard what my dad was saying:

"_Never mind the fucked up relationship Bree and I once had. That was nothing but wasted time, and you know what? I'm fine with that because it brought me to you. It's what she did to you that day outside my parents' house that I can't forget. Or forgive. And yes, I know I wasn't totally innocent in that cluster fuck either, but-"_

What. The hell?

My mom cut him off and went into this long speech, half of which consisted of things I'd never even heard them talk about! This…_Bree _woman apparently made my mom think my dad had betrayed her, causing my mom to get hit by a car, and Uncle Jake to drive her to Seattle, and then there was some sort of crazy bus chase that, oh God, apparently did things to my mom's kegel muscles, and I had to cringe because I may have been young, but I knew what kegel exercises felt like. But she was soon off of that topic - thank the Lord - and went on about her time in Tuscany, which of course, we heard about all the time, and Doctor Maietta, which my mom never forgot and whom she always compared to the therapist I'd seen for a few years, Doctor Michaels – who'd been great by the way. And then she went into their marriage in Rome, and then having us. And somehow, my sweet, loving, funny, beautiful, quirky and sometimes naïve mom had turned it all around into something she felt she had to _thank_ this Beeyotch Bree for!

Oh, it was on now!

I hadn't been thrilled to know that my dad's ex-girlfriend was coming to dinner to begin with - because really, why was that even necessary? And apparently, from the grouchy mood my poor dad had been in for the past couple of days he wasn't exactly jumping for joy about it either.

But now…

I turned right around and tip-toed quietly down the stairs…

Jamie and Masen were running around in the backyard, Jamie in front, and Masen chasing behind. Jamie's pretty, purple dress already showed green grass stains on the front while Masen, brown hair waving wildly, yelled,

"If I bite you, Vampira, you will die!"

I chuckled despite the pissed off mood my accidental eavesdropping had put me in. Jamie and Masen were two little pains, but they were _my_ pains. Since the day I'd come to live with mom and dad, Jamie had been my heart. It had been her cute, baby giggles more than anything that had gotten me to smile again. She was so, so beautiful, and despite her craziness, so damn sweet, just like our mom. And Masen, well that boy was certifiable, especially the way he tended to always take things apart and then attempt to put them back together, often with disastrous results. But since the moment mom brought him home, his eyes would light up the second he saw me and really, how could you _not_ love someone who worshipped you that much?

"Jamie, Masen!" I hissed as loudly as possible while trying not to call the attention of our parents upstairs.

When they failed to either hear or listen to me, I stuck my pinkies in the corners of my mouth and gave a low whistle, then put my hands on my hips so that they could see I meant business here.

"James and Masen Cullen!"

That got their attention.

Huffing and panting, they made their way over to me.

"I need you both to listen to me carefully - and do _exactly_ as I say."

They stared at me wide-eyed - like I said, these munchkins worshipped me. It was a power I could easily abuse if I wanted to, but I loved these two nut-heads. I would never use my power over them for evil.

And what I was going to do now did _not_ count as evil. It was totally and one-hundred percent necessary, after the crap that Bitty Bee Bree had apparently put my mom through.

This right here was going to be war, Cullen-Kids-Style.

And that's how OGBB – Operation Get Bree Back – went into effect.

OOOOOOOOOO

**BPOV**

I took the pretty cheese tarts out of the oven and breathed in deeply. _Mmmm_. Emmett had given me the recipe, and man did they smell good! The roast still had a few minutes to go, but it also smelled slamming. I'd already mashed the insides of the baked potatoes and added cheese and bacon before stuffing them back into their skins and in the oven. Maia had offered to toss the salad for me right before serving dinner, and Jamie would be preparing her world-famous freshly squeezed lemonade. Masen would set the table once we were ready to eat.

The Cullens were ready for company.

I hoped.

And just in case Bree was still on that vegan, health-conscious diet of hers, I'd sautéed up some tofu and thrown together a quick veggie chili as her main course.

The doorbell rang.

With a deep breath, I made my way towards the foyer, from where Edward's voice blended with a couple of others.

"Hey guys," I called out. Bree's big eyes (yes, they were still pretty big) turned my way. She smiled, a bit uncomfortably, and looked thinner than I remembered her from over a decade back, which kind of made her eyes pop out more.

Honestly, I was having a hard time getting past those eyes - I'd forgotten how big they were!

And then I remembered something else I seemed to have conveniently forgotten when I'd bumped into her a couple of days ago at the market.

The last time I'd seen this woman I'd bitch-slapped her!

Ignoring the way my hand tingled with the memory, I approached carefully and kept my hands within easy view lest she fear another backhand. I would _never_ do that again.

At least not without proper provocation.

"Bree, how are you?"

"I'm good, thanks." Her voice shook slightly - nerves I assumed. She cleared her throat. "Bella, Edward, this is my husband, Doctor Diego Rodriguez."

I looked over at the man standing next to her. He was a couple of inches taller than she, with dark hair and dark skin, handsome, stiff posture; smile cool and composed.

_Perfect _for her.

Damn it, Bella! Chill with the childishness!

I gave him a friendly grin and put out my hand. "It's great to meet you, Doctor Rodriguez. I'm Bella Cullen."

He took my hand and shook it. "Please call me Diego. It's good to meet you too. My wife has told me a great deal about you."

"Uh oh," I chuckled.

Doctor Diego turned to shake Edward's hand.

"Edward Cullen," Edward said, in his most formal tone. "Good to meet you."

"Good to meet you, too," Doctor Diego responded in an equally formal tone. He straightened his shoulders and puffed out his chest.

We moved through the foyer into the living room, making small talk as we went.

"This is a beautiful home, Bella," Bree said, taking in her surroundings.

"Thanks," I answered, unable to disguise my pride because yeah, I loved my home.

We took our seats over the soft, suede sofas. Edward sat next to me and Bree and Diego sat across from us. Edward picked up my hand, absent-mindedly lacing his fingers through mine the way he always did when we were seated next to each other. Bree's eyes flashed quickly to our hands. She reached out for her own husband's hand.

He looked up at her, seeming startled.

"So you're living in Houston now?" I asked in my most friendly tone.

"Yes, I've been there since I…" – she cleared her throat again – "…left Forks. Diego and I met about five years ago - when I started working at Houston General. He's head of the Mental Health Department there. We've been married for three years."

"Oh, that's great," I smiled honestly. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Bree answered.

Queue Uncomfortable Silence Number One.

"So how long have you two been married?" Bree asked.

She'd directed the question my way, but Edward was the one to respond.

"Ten years last summer," he grinned, tightening his hold on my hand.

"Wow," was all she answered.

Queue Uncomfortable Silence Number Two.

"Edward, Bree tells me you're Chief of Staff at the small hospital here in town?" Doctor Diego inquired.

Knowing him for thirteen years now, I could read Edward like the back of my hand, and I could tell by the way he shifted forward in his seat that that 'small hospital' comment did not go unnoticed.

_Fuck_.

Edward grinned. "Yes, I am. It's an extremely gratifying job. I get to work with dozens of people I respect highly, and then at the end of the day, I get to come home to my wife and kids. Those are the perks of a small town life."

Doctor Diego nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose it's a different sort of life."

The sound of loud voices accompanied by equally loud footsteps reached my ears. I silently thanked my noisy children for their perfect timing.

"And speaking of kids, here come ours," I grinned, twisting my neck around to watch my little group walk into the living room. Well, the term 'walk' was really relative, because it was more like two separate hurricanes whished in - followed by a calmer, steadier breeze.

Maia must've worked some of her calming magic with them though, because instead of running around the sofa in circles - something I would not have put past them - Jamie and Mase came to a stop right in front of us, accompanied by their big sister. The three of them faced our guests quietly and calmly, waiting to be introduced.

I bit my lip and decided to pretend that my children's display of good manners did not shock the ever living shit out of me.

Apparently, Edward and I were of like minds on this.

He cleared his throat. "Bree, Diego, these are our children: Maia, Jamie and Masen. Guys, these are Doctors Bree and Diego Rodriguez. _Friends_," - he forced out – "of ours."

"Actually, Edward," Bree cut in, "I still go by Bree Tanner."

"Yes," Doctor Diego agreed, "We…decided it would be better for Bree to keep her last name." He chuckled sort of uncomfortably.

Edward blinked. "Oh. I apologize."

Maia stepped forward and stretched her small hand out to Bree. "Doctor Tanner, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Bree silently shook her hand.

Then Maia reached out and did the same to Doctor Diego. Once she was done, Jamie, then Mase followed her example.

What…The…Hell?

Whatever the heck was going on, I stuck my chest out proudly. Yup, these were my kids.

"Doctor Tanner, Doctor Rodriguez, I sure hope you're enjoying your stay in town."

Bree smiled hesitantly at Maia. "Yes. Yes, we are. It's been a long time since I've been back - since before any of you came into the picture."

"Yes, my mom was telling me that. Well, we sure hope you'll come to town more often - and come visit us. Jamie and Masen and I _love_ company. Don't we, guys?"

Jamie and Masen squirmed next to Maia, eyes wandering around the room distractedly.

"I _said_, don't we, guys?" Maia hissed lowly, elbowing Jamie, who knocked into Masen.

"What? Huh? Oh yeah!" Jamie cried. "We love company! We hope you come by again and again!"

"We love company!" Masen mimicked in his five-year-old voice. "Come again!"

"Well, aren't those sweet kids," Doctor Diego proclaimed.

Maia grinned broadly.

"Can my brother and sister and I get any of the adults something to drink?" Maia asked.

"I would love some water," Bree hedged carefully. She turned to look at her husband.

"That sounds great. I'd like some water too, please."

"Sure," Maia agreed sweetly. "Two tall glasses of water coming up right away." With one final grin, she walked towards the kitchen, Jamie and Masen at her heels.

I looked over at Edward, who looked completely bewildered. Was he thinking the same thing I was thinking?

Had aliens come down from Mars at some point in the last half hour and replaced our kids with clones?

"My goodness, Bella," Bree chuckled, placing one dainty hand across her chest, "I have to say, you seem to have raised three polite and well-behaved children."

And like the hidden jab behind her husband's 'small hospital' comment, I didn't fail to pick up on the heavy tone of surprise in her voice, as if my well-behaved children were the complete opposite of what she'd expected.

But like Edward, I decided the best thing to do would be to take the high road and ignore her tone of disbelief.

Besides, I'd already backhanded her once in my lifetime.

We made some more small talk until the kids came back into the room, Maia and Jamie each holding a tall glass of water, with a crisp, clean white napkin under each. Jamie handed hers to Doctor Diego, and Maia to Bree. They thanked the kids and then with another sweet smile from each, all three kids excused themselves and left the room.

"Mom, just let me know when you want me to start the salad," Maia said to me before leaving. I nodded, too dumbfounded to speak.

"And when you want me to make the lemonade," Jamie added.

"And me set the table," Masen finished.

"Alright, guys, we'll let you know," Edward answered, mouth curled up in a smug grin.

I chuckled lowly. When I looked back at Bree, she was gazing at Edward, eyes slightly glazed over.

Ahh, the grin, of course. Yeah, it was a beautiful grin, and I suppose it wasn't easily forgotten.

I sighed quietly. Me and my bright ideas.

OOOOOOOOOO

We made more small talk while Doctor Diego alternated between rather pleasant and interesting comments interspersed with flagrant personal pats on his back about his successful, high-profile career. After fifteen minutes, I could already tell when a large boast was on its way because he'd always take a sip of his water beforehand. It was comical actually, and Edward seemed to agree with me, at least enough so that he didn't feel like he had to compete. The fact was that Edward was a very successful doctor. He didn't need to prove anything to anyone.

"So, Bella," Bree started, while the men discussed baseball - a 'safe' topic, "What's it like to work at the high school? It must be maddening to have to deal with all those annoying teenagers day in and day out."

"Actually, I really enjoy it," I chuckled. "Their minds are so…open and wondrous and ready to learn and even teach!" I marveled. "It's like a new adventure every day!"

"Really?" Bree smirked. "Well, I worked with teens for a while when I was running group therapy, and I've got to be honest," – she took a sip of water – "I thought they were downright-"

Here Bree paused, brows knitting together. She swallowed her water down almost forcefully, with an audible gulp.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

She took another sip of water and grimaced, eyes almost popping out of their sockets with how wide they grew.

"The _water_…Diego…darling," she turned, interrupting his conversation with Edward, "Does the water taste…_salty_ to you?"

Doctor Diego frowned and took a sip of his own water. "Not at all, sweetheart. It tastes extremely fresh and clean - like mountain water. Is it mountain water?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "It came from our fridge. Not really sure where it was before that," I chuckled.

"Well, it's delicious." He turned back to Edward, ignoring the way his wife's tongue was hanging out. Slowly, Bree stuck her tongue back in, closing her mouth with a shudder.

"I can bring you another glass," I offered, and started to get up. "Maybe the dishwasher didn't get all the soap out-"

"No, no, no, that's fine," she insisted, and set her glass down.

Hesitantly, I sat back down.

"Mom!" Maia called out from across the hall. "The oven chimed!"

"Dinner's ready!" I stood up once more, and this time the rest joined me. "Shall we move into the dining room?"

Hand in hand, Edward and I led the way into our formal dining room.

"I've prepared cheese tarts as our appetizer, and a beautiful roast with twice-baked potatoes for tonight!" I announced proudly. "And Maia makes a lovely salad with-"

A quick look passed between Bree and her husband.

"What is it?" I asked, stopping short.

Bree looked embarrassed. "Well, it's just that Diego and I are vegan, Bella."

"_Oh_."

My eyes flashed to Edward. His nostrils flared. For a split second he looked ready to say something, but I begged him with my eyes to chill. Mouth set in a tight line, he looked down at his feet.

"Well, that's fine," I went on quickly, "I wondered if you were still vegan, Bree, and just in case, I prepared a vegetarian chili for you with a recipe Emmett gave me, along with sautéed tofu. How does that sound?"

"Oh, Bella," she said, sounding genuinely grateful, "that sounds great, but you really shouldn't have gone through so much trouble."

"No, she really shouldn't have." Edward chuckled as he said it, eyes firmly on mine, but it was hard to miss the serious tone in the chuckle.

Queue Uncomfortable Silence Number Three.

"Alright then, everyone take your seat, and I'll be back in a couple of minutes with dinner."

"I'll come help you," Edward muttered, following me into the kitchen, stomping all the way.

Oh boy. What the heck had I gotten myself into here?

OOOOOOOOOO

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**The conclusion to this little outtake coming tomorrow!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by Patty Rose' is on my profile.**


	33. Outtake Part 3

**A/N: FYI, this entire outtake, Parts 1 to 3, is just one big ball of fluff. **

**Thanks to Michelle Renker Rhodes for beta-ing this three-part bit of silliness.**

**All characters (except the Cullen kids) belong to S. Meyer.**

**OGBB – Cullen Kids Style – Part 3 - Conclusion...**

* * *

**BPOV**

"Of all the ideas you've ever had, Love, and I've gotta be honest, you've had a few beauties," Edward smirked as he removed the roast from the oven and I crouched under him to remove the potatoes, "this one here is by far _not_ one of your best."

Maia, who was in the kitchen with us preparing her famous salad, looked up at her dad. They shared a snicker.

I rolled my eyes at them and put the potatoes on a nice serving dish. "It's not going _that_ badly."

He raised a brow my way while carving the roast, digging the knife in _way_ more roughly than necessary and making me cringe for the poor, yummy piece of meat.

"Excuse me, but were you and I in the same room with the same people?"

"So Doctor Diego is a bit on the…pompous side. He's not _too_ bad."

"No, I suppose _he's_ not," Edward agreed begrudgingly. "But I don't like how shocked Bree appeared about the fact that our kids are so well-behaved. As if that's really so hard to believe," he scowled. "Look at Maia," he added, waving a hand in her direction. "She's a little lady, helping with her brother and sister and making her delicious salads."

This time, Maia didn't even glance up from her salad prep.

Then Masen walked in.

"Maia, should I set the table now?"

I was surprised at Masen's eagerness to set out utensils, and also at the fact that he'd asked Maia. But Maia simply nodded, looking up at Mase firmly.

"I've already separated the utensils out for you. You _know_ how to set them, right?" she asked, narrowing her gaze.

"Yup!" He picked up each set of utensils - which had already been rolled up in separate napkin settings – and studied them intently.

"Look at that!" Edward waved towards Mase. "Our son doesn't even wait to be asked to set the table!"

Then Jamie walked in.

"Should I make the lemonade now, Maia?" She appeared as anxious to help as Mase did.

"We've got the most helpful, well-behaved children in the darn state!" Edward claimed.

"Mm," I mumbled thoughtfully, watching them all with my arms crossed against me.

Edward and I left the girls to their final preparations while we brought out the tarts, roast and potatoes. Maia and Jamie offered to bring out the rest.

"Maia and Jamie will bring out the chili and tofu as soon as Maia is done preparing the salad," I smiled, taking a seat at the end of the table. Edward sat across from me at the other end. Bree and Diego had taken seats across from each other, and Masen, having finished with his job of place setting, took a seat next to Bree.

"And Jamie is preparing freshly-squeezed lemonade," Edward stated proudly.

"This all looks delicious so far, Bella," Doctor Diego exclaimed, looking around the table hungrily. "We don't get too many home-cooked meals down in Houston."

Bree shot him a glare. "When you're working on your career, it's hard to find time to season a roast, or bake potatoes - twice."

"Especially since some of us aren't even _allowed_ to eat any of that," Doctor Diego muttered under his breath, staring at the roast with obvious longing.

If looks could kill, Bree's overgrown lasers would've shot him down right then and there.

I chuckled nervously - because I _so_ didn't want a homicide in my house.

"I know what you mean, Bree. It really _is_ all a crazy balancing act, isn't it?" I said quickly, trying to ease the tension between husband and wife.

"Yet _you_ do it _all_ so well, Love." Edward grinned my way. I smiled softly at the sincerity shining in his eyes.

Maia and Jamie walked into the dining room. Maia carried two large bowls of veggie chili, while Jamie carried two small plates of sautéed tofu. I was kind of surprised that they'd served it all into separate plates since I'd left out serving dishes for them, but oh well, it didn't really make much difference.

Maia placed a bowl of chili in front of Bree - and the other in front of Diego. Then Jamie placed a tofu plate on the other side of Bree - and one on the other side of Diego.

"Thank you girls very much," Diego smiled.

"Yes, thank you," Bree agreed prim and properly.

"You're very welcome," Maia smiled sweetly. "Jamie and Masen, why don't you guys help me bring the rest out?"

"Sure!" they both agreed simultaneously, giggling and racing each other back into the kitchen.

Doctor Diego watched them wistfully. "Such great kids."

Again, when the kids returned I was surprised to see that they'd already served the salads into separate plates, and had filled glasses with lemonade and brought them out. But once again, it didn't really matter how they were doing things.

I was just so _uber_-proud of them for helping so much in the first place!

With everything out and ready, Edward mumbled some quick words about thanks and _friends _– which by the way, could've sounded more sincere - and then we meat-eaters dug in.

"Edward, how are your brothers doing?" Bree asked. She picked up a small spoonful of chili and held it in front of her mouth, gracefully waiting for Edward's response before taking a bite.

Edward had been about to stick a piece of roast in his mouth. Now he set his fork down and looked over at Bree with a tight smile.

"They're well, thanks. Emmett and Rose have four kids, and own a very successful chain of restaurants in Seattle and the surrounding areas. Jasper and Alice help manage the business."

"In between running after their own two boys," I added with a grin.

Bree flashed her eyes to me and gave me a hasty smile before promptly turning back to Edward.

"So they're all living in Seattle?"

Edward set his fork down once more. "No, they all live in Forks."

"So it's a nice family business," Bree smiled, cocking her head to the side, studying my husband.

"Yes," Edward replied, quick and succinct, apparently having no interest in sharing the fact that we were all involved in Emmett and Rose's restaurant business.

"And how are your parents?"

Edward sighed and stared longingly at the piece of roast at the end of his fork before setting it down once more.

"They're fine as well. Dad is retiring next year, and mom…well she has no plans to retire in the near future. As a matter of fact, she's thinking of expanding her business."

Bree chuckled prettily - and was it just me or were her eyelashes fluttering a tad bit more than necessary?

"Your mom was always so very…active and…impulsive. Quixotic even. I suppose that's why she took to _you_ so easily, Bella."

I blinked.

"Maybe Gran took to my mom so quickly because mom's so pretty and nice and smart."

That wasn't me, that was Maia - and though she grinned beautifully at Bree while she said it, there was a strange fire burning in her eyes.

My stomach tightened.

Bree set her spoonful of chili down and turned her large eyes to Maia.

"Yes, your mom is definitely all those things - and more. She certainly knew how to catch your dad pretty quickly."

"Maybe she caught my dad so quickly because my dad finally woke up and got a clue."

Bree's huge eyes widened in shock.

Oh.

Shit.

"Maia, honey..." I started.

"Bree, darling, why don't you try your chili? It's absolutely delicious!" Diego blurted, stuffing his face.

"I just meant that men can be so blind sometimes." Maia pushed a piece of roast into her mouth, smiling while she chewed.

Bree stared at her, chili all but forgotten. "How old are you, Maia?"

Maia made sure to swallow completely before answering with obvious pride. "I'm fourteen."

"Fourteen," Bree mused thoughtfully. "I remember being fourteen." Her eyes abruptly took on a far-away, glazed look. "Edward, do you remember that summer when we were fourteen, right before we started high school? We used to spend our days in your parents' back yard - out of the sun, of course. You and the rest were always in the pool and I had to keep reminding you how bad chlorine is for the skin, but you just wouldn't listen. We thought we knew it all then, didn't we?"

This time Edward stared at Bree as if she'd lost her mind. "What are you even-"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh!" Jamie bounced up and down in her seat, raising her hand the way we'd taught her to if she wanted to speak while others were doing so. Unfortunately, she kept forgetting that raising your hand didn't automatically mean you could now interrupt.

"Miss Bree, if you were fourteen at the same time as my daddy that means you're the same age as him. My daddy is forty now. Does that mean you're also forty? My mommy is thirty-five. Right, mommy?"

Bree's naturally pale complexion went redder than the untouched chili before her.

Oh.

Shit.

"Seriously, Bree," Diego exclaimed, shoveling chili into his mouth, "Just try the chili."

"Uhm…Jamie, baby," I said quietly, "we don't ask people their ages."

Maia gave her little sister a smile chock full of indulgence. "That's right, Jamie. She's forty. Good math."

Jamie grinned wide and proud.

Queue Uncomfortable Silence Number Four.

Now while Uncomfortable Silence Number Four was going on, Maia and Jamie shared a look - a look that, as their mom, I recognized all too easily. It was the look they gave each other whenever they decided to tag team Masen - which thankfully wasn't very often. But then Masen joined _in_ on the look, and my meat-filled tummy rolled.

With a deep, obviously annoyed breath, Bree picked up her spoon again, eyes firmly on her chili as she brought it to her mouth for her first taste-

"Doctor Tanner, do you and Doctor Rodriguez plan on _ever_ having children?"

Oh. My. God! Maia was _not_ going there!

"Maia-" Edward spoke up now.

Bree set her spoon down and leveled Maia with a definite glare, but Maia held her gaze firmly.

"Doctor Rodriguez and I have been busy for the past few years with our careers. Whether we'll have children or not is-"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Doctor Diego's shoulders droop.

"My mom and dad might have more kids."

"Maia!"

"Because my mom is still so young," Maia went on, ignoring my horrified expression. "Thirty-five is still really young for a woman to have kids. But _forty_," she exclaimed, blowing out through narrowed lips and shaking her head. "Man, I don't know…that's kind of _old_ right there, isn't it?"

"I'll have you know, young lady, that plenty of women have babies past forty!"

"Sure," Maia shrugged. "But I've heard that the older you are when you have kids, the harder it is to shed that baby weight." She gave Bree a meaningful look, shaking her head once more.

"Maia!" I choked again.

"Mommy, I gotta go potty!" Masen yelled. I flashed my eyes his way. He squirmed in his seat, hands between his legs where he was holding in the pee.

"Masen, honey-"

"Is anyone going to taste their lemonade soon?" Jamie asked, looking bored already.

Bree scowled around the table. "And if we ever do have kids, they will definitely be better behaved than _some_ children I've seen!" Angrily, she lifted her spoon to her mouth again.

"Now hold on, Bree. I know you're not in _my_ house implying that _my_ kids aren't-" Edward began.

"Bree, they're just children," Diego whispered.

"Tell me, Doctor Tanner, being a mental health _professional_, do you ascribe to the nature or nurture theory of behavioral psychology to determine a child's personality?" Maia questioned.

I covered my mouth.

Bree's dainty little nostrils flared, spoon dropping once more. "In some cases, it's obviously _both_ nature and nurture!"

"Bree!" I exclaimed.

"I gotta potty!"

Everything after that happened quick-fast - and yet at the same time, in super _slow-mo_.

Bree furiously stuck the spoon - the one that had been carefully wrapped in a place setting specifically for her - in her mouth, tasting her first bite of veggie chili – the veggie chili that Maia and Jamie had served individually while alone in the kitchen.

A triumphant grin spread across Maia's face as Bree's face went from pink, to sandstone, to rose, to red, to burgundy - before spitting the chili back out into the bowl.

"Fuck!"

"Bree!"

Her tongue hung out of her mouth, panting like a thirsty puppy. She desperately picked up her glass of lemonade and swallowed half of it down-

-before her eyes bulged and she spit the lemonade back out onto the table in one long stream.

"Cool!" Jamie exclaimed.

"FUCK!" Bree yelled.

"Bree, watch your language around my kids!" Edward bellowed.

"Bree, darling, what's wrong?"

Bree reached out for Doctor Diego's lemonade glass, knocking over the pitcher, which spilled all over my pretty – and quite delicious, I must say – roast.

She swallowed the glass in 2.1 seconds.

I kid you not.

"I should've known you'd breed the spawn of the devil!" she screeched my way when she finally came up for air.

"Don't you _dare_ come into our house and call our children the spawn of the devil!" Edward bellowed.

"They tried to _poison_ me!" she screamed at Edward. And then reached over for my lemonade glass and started drinking that. I took in the scene, dumbfounded – and speechless.

"Oh, please," Maia snorted. "My dad's a doctor. Trust me, there was no poison involved." She grinned innocently. "You haven't even tried your tofu or salad yet."

Bree glared at her. "You…you're just like your mother!" she spat.

"Thank you," Maia nodded vehemently, arms crossed across her chest. "That's the best compliment anyone could _ever_ give me."

Bree growled. Actually growled!

"You're _all_ just like your mother! If your father would've married _me_ things would've been a lot different around here! There'd be order and behavior - instead of all this…this _chaos_!"

"_Bo-ring_," Jamie muttered, swinging her legs under the table.

"You regret it, Edward, don't you?! You could've had a nice, organized and well-planned out life with me, instead of all this craziness!"

Maia snorted. "Doctor Tanner, do you spend a lot of time dealing with delusions in your line of work?"

"Mommy, what does delusion mean?"

"I gotta go potty now!"

"Oh for God's sakes, THEN GO POTTY!" Bree yelled down at my poor Mase.

Masen stared up at her - and stopped squirming.

"That's it!" Edward flung his napkin over the table. "There's no way in hell you're going to sit here and speak to my children that way!"

"Oh, don't worry, we're leaving! Come on Diego, let's get out of this nut house!" Bree ordered. She downed Masen's cup of milk before getting up so fast she almost fell backwards.

"Damn it!"

"Uhm…thank you so much for a lovely and entertaining evening," Doctor Diego mumbled quietly, slowly getting up. "Dinner was delicious."

"Diego, let's go!"

"You're very welcome, Diego," I smiled softly. "Whenever you're in town-"

"Diego! NOW!" Bree stormed out of the dining room.

"Uh…you have a lovely family. Very…loving," Diego added quickly before running after his wife.

OOOOOOOOOO

We sat there – speechless - for about fifteen minutes.

Well, all of us except Masen. He was still in the bathroom - singing to himself.

Finally, Edward drew in a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. He narrowed his eyes first at his eldest daughter, then at the other.

"I don't even know what to say to you two…"

I shook my head in total agreement, my arms crossed against my chest.

"…except…that…this seriously turned out to be one of the most entertaining nights of my life!" he chuckled.

I whipped my head towards Edward. He was beaming at both girls like they'd just been accepted into Harvard.

"Edward!"

"What? She called our kids the spawn of the devil!"

"They were hardly _angels_ tonight, Edward!"

"Did you hear the crap coming out of her mouth?" He asked, pointing in the direction of the door from where Bree and Diego had disappeared a quarter of an hour ago. "I just think it's a shame that she didn't get to try her salad or tofu! Maia, what exactly was in-"

"Edward!"

"Fine, fine, fine!" he conceded. And then with another huff, "Girls, you do see why, regardless of how much I may or may not have enjoyed tonight's entertainment, I have to punish you, don't you?"

Both girls had the decency to wipe the grins off their faces and drop their heads.

"Yes, Daddy," they mumbled.

"Whether or not Bree deserved it, what you two did tonight and what you involved your little brother in, was wrong."

"Yes, Daddy."

"And Maia, I assume this was your idea?"

"It was, Daddy."

"So you see why your punishment has to be greater."

"Yes, Daddy."

Edward sighed. "Fine, go to your rooms. We'll finish talking about this later."

Both girls got up, heads down, shoulders sagging, and headed out of the dining room.

And then just beyond the threshold, in the sudden silence of the big, comfy house, we heard the definite sounds of hands high-fiving each other.

"Totally worth every single second of punishment that will cost me."

"Yeah, it was," Jamie giggled in agreement.

"Thanks for your help, little sis. Sorry you got punished."

"That's okay, Maia. I love you."

"Love you too, munchkin."

Edward and I cracked up quietly.

"So…if we thought the events of thirteen years ago couldn't be topped, we were obviously wrong. You think in thirteen more years we can try catching up with Bree again?"

Edward snorted. "Love, I think that if you attempt this again in thirteen more years, Maia's kids will be ready to 'catch up' with Bree."

I chuckled heartily.

Edward stood up from the disaster of a table, chuckling and shaking his head as he looked at the mess. He walked over to me slowly, a wide, sexy smile on his lips. Yes, my husband was forty now, but he was still so damn hot - hair full and wild, that jaw that made crazy things jump around in the pit of my tummy, body still slamming - as fit and strong as a guy in his twenties – or a 'David' statue in Florence.

My thighs kegeled away, completely forgetting about the catastrophe of a night because I could tell by the slow, hungry smile that Edward was sporting that he had something else in mind to cap off our evening.

He took my hand in his, lacing our fingers and helping me up, his eyes boring into mine.

"Come here, you she-devil that used all your feminine wiles to catch me," he smirked in a low, velvet voice. "What say we go practice spawning some more horribly misbehaved little monsters?"

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders while he pulled me flush against him, trailing my fingers into the nape of his neck and loving the way he hummed low in his chest.

"I think that sounds like one mighty yummy-"

A toilet flushed and little footsteps scurried into the dining room. Mase, still pulling up his pants, looked up at us and frowned.

"Hey, where'd everyone go? I thought we were having a party up in here!"

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**Hope you all enjoyed this three-part outtake!**

**I'll be posting a new story soon. Put me on Author/Story Alert if you're interested. And for little teasers, follow me on Twitter (PattyRosa817), or go to 'Stories by Pattyrose' on facebook (link on my profile).**


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